Without You
by bauerfreak
Summary: Nick's wife died in childbirth, leaving him to raise twin girls by himself. The girls are now twelve, and a love interest enters the scene. Can Nick love again, and will his daughters allow him? Nick/OC
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hiiii! I've been away for a while because of a rather hellish semester of graduate school, which culminated in the writing of a 110 page paper! But…the wonderful lostladyknight gave me this idea for a story and I really liked it, so I decided to start a new fic. I may one day continue with Anything But Ordinary, but I'm more excited about this right now. LLK hope to cowrite some more soon! I've written about 20 pages of this so far, but decided to break it up cuz it was getting rather longgg. So, the next part should be up soon! I hope you enjoy! Hugz, and Happy New Year, bauerfreak._

Getting called into his daughters' school was, by no means, a regular occurrence for Nick Stokes, but nevertheless he found himself pulling into the parking lot of Sid Rogich Middle School on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. Neither of his twin girls were trouble makers. They'd always been well-behaved and respectful of their teachers. However, for one reason or another, his daughter Gracie was sitting in the guidance office and he'd been called in.

The guidance office. Meaning not the principal's office, or the dean's office. At least she wasn't in trouble, it seemed. Although sometimes he wished Gracie would just get into trouble for typical tween stuff like her sister. From what her English teacher had said over the phone when she'd called fifteen minutes before, Gracie had experienced some sort of emotional breakdown. Unfortunately, a meltdown wasn't that far out of the realm of possibility for the oldest of his twin girls. He'd lost count of how many times Gracie had freaked out at home over a variety of things, from school projects to chores to getting mud all over her clothes to disagreements with her sister. At least once a week the kid had a mini-meltdown, but she'd always been able to control herself somehow at school. Gracie was all about saving face. She was comfortable at home showing her frustration, but not in front of anyone else, at least not in meltdown form. Everyone at school, according to his other daughter Alexis, knew what a spaz Gracie was. From her particular and meticulous nature she completed her assignments, to color-coded folders and notebooks, and her compulsively neat nature, it wasn't hard to see that Gracie Stokes was a bit neurotic.

With a heavy sigh, Nick climbed the front steps to the school after clicking the lock to his truck. That nap he'd been in the middle of was probably not going to happen now, so he'd have to head into his night shift at CSI with only the three hours of shut-eye he'd managed before the call from Gracie's school. He muttered to himself to quit complaining. Being there for his girls was his top priority, and getting called into school for an emotional problem with Gracie was just part of his job. Though his twin girls drove him nuts at times, they were both healthy and happy for the most part. At least he thought so. But Gracie's English teacher sounded especially concerned over the phone. He'd never met her English teacher before, but from what he heard, she sounded young. And, though he'd never admit it…kinda hot. But he was getting ahead of himself…no one could really tell someone's attractiveness based solely on the sound of a voice. His daughters' English teacher's hotness was definitely not on his list of priorities at the moment. Miss Coleman also had Alexis for third period English, the same class Gracie had been sent out of, only earlier in the day. Both girls oozed about her at home, from the things she taught them, to a funny thing she'd said, to a pretty outfit she'd worn. Nick didn't put much thought into their comments at all; they'd both always loved their teachers, and Miss Coleman was no different.

It was nearing the end of eighth period now by Nick's calculation – the last class of the day. At least, if Gracie was truly in one of her trademark huffs, he could pull her out for the last fifteen minutes of the day or whatever it was and calm her back down at home. Even though she was getting older, he still had that charm to calm her down; that special way; those perfect words. He just wanted to get her home, if need be, before the sexy-voiced teacher deemed him a bad parent for producing such a neurotic child.

Nick entered the front doors of the school and immediately spotted the doors to the guidance office just down the hallway. The sounds of obnoxious, feisty middle school children circled in the air. Junior high – not exactly the happiest time in anyone's life. The girls were just now entering seventh grade, so they'd have the pleasure of sticking around this social hell-hole, from what he'd remembered, for another year. He'd thought middle school was bad enough when he'd been through all those years ago. But, he hadn't fully grasped the cold-hearted backstabbing nature of tween girls until Gracie and Alexis had begun school here and started bringing home horrific tales. Cyber-bullying on myspace…boyfriend-stealing...teasing…just to name a few. Alexis took it more in stride, but he worried greatly about Gracie.

He stepped into the guidance office and walked up to the counter to sign in and receive direction from the secretary. As he scribbled his name, he happened to glance towards his right to a slightly open doorway. A young girl sat inside on a cot, the back of her hand swiping at her eyes – not in that delicate way you see a lot of girls do, of daintily wiping underneath their eyelids with a single finger as perhaps a few tiny tears trickle down their cheeks. A wave of fresh tears erupted…yea it was his Gracie. Despite her name, Gracie was her own antonym when she was crying or having one of her meltdowns, at least around the people that she trusted. Though he couldn't see her face, Nick would bet a hundred bucks it was bright red, her face all contorted and awkward, tears flowing like a torrential downpour. Perhaps even a runny nose, if the meltdown was especially bad, accompanied by a large amount of nail-biting.

Nick narrowed his eyes at the crack in the door, and saw a tall, slender brunette sit down on the edge of the cot and reach out to hold his daughter's hand. Through the tiny crack, only about an inch wide, Nick could barely get a glimpse of the woman who was sitting with Gracie. She wore a cream sweater of some kind, of which long trestles of dark brown, curly hair fell against. When the woman scooted forward on the cot just a little more, he caught sight of a set of sparkling white teeth, and a kind, encouraging smile.

"Mr. Stokes!" The secretary called his name a little too loudly, startling Nick out of his thoughts. He immediately looked back at the secretary, a woman probably in her fifties with graying hair, probably from too many years working in a middle school. She narrowed her eyes at him a little, as if she knew Nick had maybe been checking out whoever it was in there with Gracie. As if it were a sin or something – he couldn't look at someone? He couldn't peek to see who was comforting his sobbing child? "Your daughter's in room one."

The secretary's loud voice had apparently caught the attention of the woman taking care of Gracie. She'd since gotten up from the cot and made her way through the door, gently tugging it closed behind her, a look of concern on her face. Nick straightened himself up slightly and cleared his throat as the woman approached.

"Mr. Stokes?" She asked as she approached the front desk. Immediately, his ears sprung to life, recognizing her accent from his native state.

"Yes, ma'am," Nick answered politely in perfect Southern drawl. He held out his hand and the woman accepted, giving his hand a firm shake. Nick caught a slight waft of whatever it was she was wearing and forced himself to stare at her face. "You have my daughter?"

The woman let out the tiniest of sighs, probably one born in the throats of all school teachers after a long hard day. "Yes, Mr. Stokes I do," she said in a rather adorable twang. "Would you like to step into the hallway a moment so we can talk?"

She began to walk in the direction of the small hallway, which presumably held several small private rooms and offices. When they reached midway through the hallway and found at least some level of privacy, she turned and immediately got to the point.

"Mr. Stokes, Gracie had a small breakdown today in class over the video we watched today as part of our human growth and development unit."

"Human growth and development?" Nick asked. "You mean, like, talking about puberty and all that?"

"Yes," she nodded a little nervously. "And today's particular video depicted certain parts of childbirth. Gracie ran out of the room and I went after her. I found her crying in the girls' bathroom. Mr. Stokes, I've talked with your daughter before, and Alexis a little bit too about their family life, and I know about what happened with your wife…"

Nick held up his hand for her to stop. "Woah, woah, hold on," he said, his voice now slightly agitated. Talking about his wife and what happened to her was not something he liked to do, and especially not with perfect strangers, even if they had adorable Texan lady-accents. It had taken months before he'd even opened up to his own family about it. This lady, whoever she was, had an awful lot of nerve bringing this delicate subject up with him right off the bat, even if it did involve his daughter. "Who are you again?"

"I'm Miss Coleman. Gracie's English teacher. And Lexi's too."

"So why are you teaching them human growth and development in the first place? Shouldn't you be teaching grammar or writing or something?"

She let out a tiny sigh again but was unfazed. "It's in the seventh grade curriculum. At this school, all seventh graders are taught human growth and development eighth period during the second nine weeks. All the teachers are trained how to teach it."

Nick nodded. That seemed a weird way to do it, and he didn't remember seeing any kind of notification of this. "You showed a video of an actual human childbirth to my daughter, and you didn't ask me first? Isn't this something that, I don't know, parents should be aware of?"

Miss Coleman furrowed her eyebrows. "You were notified. Permission slips were sent home two weeks ago about the video, and Gracie returned hers with your signature."

"I never saw a permission slip," Nick contended.

"Well, then it seems we have a little problem here," she shifted her stance slightly, studying Nick's face as if somehow she'd find the answer there. "Gracie returned the slip last week with a signature of a Nicholas Stokes."

Nick torqued his jaw and put his hands on his hips as he let out an exhausted sigh. From Alexis he may have expected this, but Gracie? Unstable, but sweet little Gracie? "So she forged my signature."

Miss Coleman's eyes darted away for a moment, slightly embarrassed she hadn't been able to catch this little forgery when Gracie had turned it in. Though she was a fairly new teacher, with about eight years' experience, she'd certainly come across worse things than a quick and dirty forgery. "It would appear so," she replied a little softer than she'd been speaking.

Nick cleared his throat, "Well I'm sorry for any inconvenience Gracie caused you. I'll be having a talk with her about forging my signature, but right now I think she needs me," he told the young teacher, taking a step towards the room his daughter was sitting in. Miss Coleman, however, stood in his way, putting up a hand to stop him.

"Mr. Stokes, I understand that, but I was hoping we could perhaps set up a conference in the near future about Gracie. I care about her a great deal, and since we began talking about how babies are born…"

She'd hit a nerve again. The wrong nerve at just about the worst time. "Ma'am," he interrupted her sentence politely, but there was a hint of anger and protectiveness in his voice. His eyes, defensive and cold, warned her not to venture any further. "I appreciate your concern, but I think I know what my daughter needs. I can handle it."

Nick let his stare linger for a couple moments, a stare he'd perfected over the years as a criminalist that warned the other person to back off. Miss Coleman was taken aback for a moment. She was just trying to help, after all. Gracie and Alexis Stokes were a couple of her star pupils, and a great joy to have in class. She wanted what was best for them, but also realized she may have gone too far. According to the girls, their mother's death, even almost thirteen years later, was still an open wound to their father.

Miss Coleman conceded, offering Nick a small nod of understanding. His shoulders relaxed just slightly as he finally turned and walked to Gracie's door. Nick let out another calming breath as he pushed the door open to the little room. Gracie turned in her place, her face all red and splotchy as he'd predicted, and ceased her nail-biting. Her shoulder-length brown hair was now swept back in a ponytail, evidence that she'd had to suffer through P.E. earlier in the day. In her hand was a balled-up tissue, which she squeezed a little nervously. On one hand, she was relieved that her dad was here. He was a safe shoulder to cry on, someone who would never judge her or tell her she was being ridiculous. On the other hand, he knew now that she and her sister were studying human growth and development this nine weeks. And he knew she'd watched that video of the lady giving birth. And he probably knew she'd thought about her own mother, and how things had gone oh so wrong. And so now he was going to have to think about that day again. About how two of the great loves of his life had come into the world, only to take their own mother out of it.

"Daddy," Gracie's face contorted slightly to bring a few fresh new tears as Nick sat down on the cot and brought his twelve year old into a hug. He didn't say anything at first, just held her tightly and patted her back softly as she sniffled. Maybe, Gracie thought, he just wouldn't bring it up. Maybe Miss Coleman had been evasive, and just told him she'd had a breakdown and would leave her to fill in the gaps. She could dismiss it as a meltdown over a quiz she'd forgotten to study for. Certainly plausible, considering her record – straight A's or bust. If she could just freeze this moment - have it just be a supportive hug from a father to a daughter – then she wouldn't have to face the possibility of having to talk about it. Of having him think he HAD to talk about it for her sake. It wasn't that she didn't understand. She did. Her mother was dead because she and her sister had been born.

A few moments later, when her father finally pulled away and she saw the concerned look on his face, Gracie knew she wouldn't be out of this pickle unscathed. He was worried about her. More than he usually was. Gracie knew she wasn't the easiest kid to live with. Her mood could be a bit unpredictable. She tended to worry and over-analyze everything, and he was the only parent around to deal with it. Gracie knew she was a burden at times.

"Gracie, I heard what happened in English today," he started softly as he squeezed her upper arm with one of his hands. Gracie didn't look at him and instead focused her energy on playing with the tissue in her right hand. "Miss Coleman said you saw something that upset you?"

Gracie knew her father was holding out bait, hoping she'd start talking so he didn't have to pry. So he wouldn't accidentally say the wrong words and cause her to start crying all over again. She wanted to cry; to let it all out and tell him what she felt, but she didn't want to make him think about it. He worked so hard raising her and her sister all by himself, while working night-shift full time. He didn't need the reminder of the worst day of his life.

Gracie shrugged and pulled at her tissue, rearranging it in her palm. Nick patiently waited, hoping she'd open up and tell him. Nine times out of ten she had no problem at all telling him exactly what was going on in full detail, sparing him no detail. On rare occasions, he had to pull it out of her, like he was going to have to do today. When that happened, it usually had to do with her mother. It wasn't something he liked talking about a whole lot, and Nick sensed the girls knew that.

"What upset you, sweetheart?" Nick asked her patiently, his voice full of understanding. He moved his fingers from her arm to hold her hand, watching her face intently. "Come on, you can tell me."

Gracie furrowed her eyebrows and looked almost angry for a few moments. Whether it was at him, he didn't know. She still wouldn't look at him. Nick gently stroked her hand as he waited for her. He'd learned over the years he couldn't push Gracie emotionally. She would share with him when she was good and ready, and not a moment before.

After almost a minute of silence, Nick finally looked down, accepting for now that Gracie wasn't going to open up to him about what happened in English class. At least not just yet. Based on the subject matter that had apparently upset her, he could guess what she was thinking. When the girls were small, the concept of their mother dying was easier to explain because he could be evasive due to their age. Now they were getting smarter and having more questions about it. Thanks to the middle school curriculum, Nick figured Gracie had just received a harsh reality check about the nature of her mother's death.

"Gracie, it wasn't your fault," he said gently, but with a firmness to his voice. "And it wasn't Lexi's fault. It just happened."

Gracie finally looked up at him, tears brimming at her eyes. She held his gaze for only a moment or two, and then looked away as a few more tears trickled down her face. He had to say that. What kind of father would actually tell his kid she was responsible for her mother's death? He always dismissed her death as just bad luck, as something that just happened at no fault of the babies, the mother, or the doctors. But someone had to be responsible. The facts were there. If she and her sister hadn't been conceived, carried, and then born, their mother would still be alive.

Gracie didn't say anything back; didn't nod her head in agreement, or refute what he'd said. That's the way it always was with Gracie when the subject matter was her mother. He couldn't get her to talk much about it at home during the rare times it was even brought up, and he realized he wasn't going to have much luck in a tiny room inside a middle school guidance office. For now, just repeating it again would have to do; that it wasn't her fault.

Nick looked at his watch and saw it was only about ten minutes until the end of the school day. "Come on, let's get you home."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! : ) And just to let you know, I'm not abandoning Snickers. I just wanted to try something a little different, so I hope you don't hate me! Please review!_

Gracie was glad to stand up and be free of the situation, at least for now. Knowing her father, he'd bring it up again sometime in the near future. If he knew something was bothering either one of the girls, he tried his best to help solve the problem as much as he could. When they were little, it was usually as easy as solving a little rift about sharing, or kissing a bumped knee better. Now that they were in middle school, with all their middle school girl problems, helping was a little more complicated. And talking about his wife had never been easy. Truthfully, he avoided it as much as possible.

Since it was very close to the end of the day, Nick had the secretary call Alexis out of her last period class to go home a few minutes early. Otherwise, he'd have to turn right around and pick her up in about fifteen minutes' time. The secretary made the call, and Gracie trudged off to her locker to get her homework and jacket. After about five minutes of waiting, both his girls appeared in the office, Gracie still looking quite weepy. Her twin sister seemed only slightly concerned. As they walked in together, it was easy to see the vastly different way they kept themselves. Gracie's shoulder-blade length hair was still up in a ponytail and her clothes sat on her body slightly baggy. She valued comfort over style, unlike her identical twin, who wore almost exclusively Aeropostale, Hollister, American Eagle, and Abercrombie. Her hair was kept slightly shorter, generally falling at just about shoulder length. Alexis liked to wear what little make up Nick permitted them to – some foundation, a little mascara, and some lip gloss. Gracie wasn't much interested in make up yet, mostly going for fruit-flavored Lip Smackers and a little concealer when needed.

"Alright kids, let's go," he told his girls, putting his hand on Alexis's shoulder to guide her along out the door. They both meandered out and let their father lead the way to the truck, trailing slightly behind him side by side. Nick heard them mumbling to each other. Knowing Alexis, she wanted to know all the details about why he'd been called into school. And knowing Gracie, she was probably being evasive about it. While she was normally a chatterbox, if Gracie had done something she was ashamed or embarrassed about, she kept her mouth shut about it.

They piled into Nick's truck, Gracie immediately heading for the back seat, where she'd be out of sight and hopefully out of mind and conversation. Alexis happily took the front seat and began playing with the radio station. Nick glanced over at her with a slightly annoyed look as he began backing out of his parking space.

"Lex, I may have been listening to that," he pointed out.

Alexis gave him a teasing look back as she flipped to her favorite station. "Dad, it's country," she told him, saying the genre's name with a certain amount of disgust. "Only hicks and rednecks listen to this stuff."

Nick playfully reached over and mussed up his daughter's hair, knowing she liked to keep it picture perfect. She squealed in protest and pushed his arm away. "_I_ like to listen to country, and that does not mean I'm a hick or a redneck."

"You just keep telling yourself that, Dad," Alexis said as they pulled out of the parking lot. Nick smirked a little and shook his head as Rihanna's latest song blared over the radio waves. "So, why did you have to come pick up Gracie from school?"

"It's none of your business," Gracie piped in softly, but firmly from the backseat. She was in no mood to get into a discussion with her sister about how they'd killed their mother, and now she was trying to pull information from their dad. Enough energy had been spent on it already, and she needed to save it for when her dad would almost certainly bring it up with her later.

"It looked like you were crying," Alexis said, knowingly getting under her sister's skin. They were close, but with that closeness came the ability to push each other's buttons easily. Alexis wasn't sure why she wanted to annoy her sister today. She just did.

"Shut UP!!" Gracie snapped at her sister from the back seat, giving her shoulder a harsh shove.

"Girls! Knock it off," Nick told his daughters, not in the mood to deal with any squabbling. "Alexis, it's not your business what happened at school with your sister."

"Well, if you don't tell me, I'll probably find out on AIM later tonight or tomorrow at school. So why not get it over with and hear it first hand without any exaggerations?"

Nick sighed as he drove down the road. Alexis could be quite a manipulative child if she needed information. She knew how nervous and uptight Gracie was about gossip and what other people thought of her. Gracie was already getting visibly upset.

"That's not fair!" Gracie's voice was emotional, and Nick could tell she was already on the verge of bursting into tears. "They shouldn't be talking about me! I was upset!"

"Hellooo!" Alexis turned around in her seat to give her sister an incredulous look. "Have you never been to middle school? Of course they're gonna talk about it. So what happened?"

"Alexis Michelle, I'm not gonna tell you again," Nick came to Gracie's defense yet again. Unlike him Gracie could, at times, be easily manipulated by Alexis. They still loved each other to death but Alexis's teasing could be ruthless. "Leave her alone."

Crossing her arms, Alexis slouched down in her chair. She knew when to stop, at least most of the time.

Gracie continued to sniffle from the back seat, and Nick glanced at her in the rearview mirror, feeling badly for her. Middle school was hard for kids, and especially his kid. She hadn't done anything wrong, but because she'd lost face in front of an entire classroom of kids she was probably going to be ridiculed, and there wasn't much he could do about it. Kids could really be cruel and it just wasn't fair.

"Gracie, honey," Nick started as he turned the truck into their neighborhood. "It's gonna be alright. Alexis is just pulling your chain. And even if the kids start saying things to you, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what they think about you, okay?"

Gracie choked on a sob and Nick stole a glance at her again, seeing her face all red and tear-stained once again. He gave Alexis a disappointed look. "But it DOES matter!" She argued, trying to control her tears, but failing. "Everyone saw me crying, and they're gonna think I'm a freak."

Alexis opened her mouth to say something, but Nick snapped his finger and she stopped. She'd done enough damage already. Weren't twins supposed to be absolute best friends? Most of the time, they got along okay, but Nick never understood their desire to antagonize each other. He guessed it was just regular sister stuff. His own sisters had fought with each other like cats and dogs at times growing up.

"No one thinks you're a freak," Nick corrected her as he pulled into the driveway of their modest two-story home. "You're wonderful the way you are. I bet they probably just felt bad for you that you were so upset."

Nick put the truck in park and cut the engine. Gracie immediately got out and rushed into the house and up to her room. As Nick and Alexis slowly entered the house through the garage door, they heard her door shut loudly. Alexis stole a glance at her father and grimaced.

"I better not hear another word out of your mouth about this, Alexis Michelle," Nick warned her as he tossed the keys onto the kitchen counter. Alexis sighed and set her backpack down next to the table.

"I was just trying to give her a dose of reality, since you always baby her," she pointed out bravely as she headed to the kitchen to grab herself an after-school snack. Nick pondered what she'd said for a moment and followed her into the kitchen.

"She doesn't need her own sister making things worse," Nick told her. As Alexis reached up to one of the counters to pull out a granola bar, Nick leaned back against the opposite counter and crossed his arms. "You know how sensitive she is, and you were just keeping at her. That's not what we do to our family members in this house."

Lexi turned around and began opening her granola bar, giving him a suspicious look. She wanted to continue her argument with him, he could tell, but she also knew she'd never win. Nick didn't tolerate teasing at all.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry," she blurted half-heartedly, then took a big bite out of her snack. "But high school's gonna be much worse and you're only enabling her."

Nick let out a short, surprised chuckle at her comment. Twelve year olds really did think they knew everything. "Thanks for the advice, child who hasn't yet been to high school. But I'm the parent here, so I think I'll make the decisions."

Nick walked over to the sink to put away some clean dishes back into the cabinets. "You have much homework?" He asked as Lexi wandered into the adjacent living room to watch a little TV.

"Nope," she replied, and he soon heard the buzz of the television. Nick continued with his task and kept thinking about Gracie. Right now, she needed some space to collect her thoughts, but he knew he needed to talk to her more before she went back to schoool tomorrow. He feared she had more questions about how her mother had died all those years ago. The girls hadn't asked about it now in several years. Though he tried to suppress them, some of the memories of that day were coming back. Her difficult labor, and all of a sudden, the doctor and nurses started getting very worried and concerned. He'd seen it in their eyes something wasn't right. He'd always wanted to be a dad, but that day, and the rest of their lives, had been horribly altered by a sick turn of events. By the day's end, he had two beautiful, precious daughters, but had lost his true love.

Nick didn't realize he'd started to shed some tears until one fell on his shirt sleeve. Alexis was in the next room, so he quickly wiped at his eyes with his shirt and cleared his throat. His mourning had always been in private, and he didn't want his girls seeing him all choked up. Nick set the last of the clean plates into the cabinet, took a deep breath, and moved on.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Several hours later, the family of three sat around the kitchen table finishing off their dinner of chicken enchiladas and rice. Gracie had barely said a word, and had only eaten about half her food so far. Nick didn't like her not eating, but knew she wasn't doing it for attention. She really didn't feel hungry, and there was no point in battling with her.

Gracie pushed her rice around on her plate, staring at it, with her head resting in her hand. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and stay there for the next few days, so she wouldn't have to face her father's questions, Alexis's teasing, and the kids talking about her at school.

"May I be excused?" She asked quietly, not even looking up at Nick.

Nick paused the motion of his fork and looked at his daughter for a few moments. "You don't wanna eat a few more bites?" He tried to sway her. Gracie just shook her head and pushed her food around.

"Alright," he said softly. "Go ahead."

Gracie stood up with a word and took her plate into the kitchen, glad to be away from the situation. She quickly climbed the stairs and shut the door behind her once again, leaving Nick and Alexis alone at the table.

"So, you're really not gonna tell me what happened?" Alexis checked.

Nick took a bite of food and chewed as he looked at his youngest. Once he'd swallowed, he answered, "That's for Gracie to do if she feels comfortable. And I think she's made it clear she's not."

"Fine," she mumbled and pushed her chair out. "Can I be excused?"

"Yep," Nick said, and set his own silverware on his plate, finished with his meal. They both carried their plates into the kitchen and set them on the counter next to the sink. "Do you have anything you need to show me from school?"

Lexi thought for a moment and remembered the permission slip she needed to have him sign about a health video coming up, the subject of which she wasn't sure her dad would be comfortable her viewing. It was a child birthing video, one that all the seventh graders were supposed to watch, with their parents' permission. Then it all clicked. Not all the classes could watch the video the same day, so Gracie may very well have watched the video that day. She'd freaked out about it and left the room because of what had happened to their mother.

"Uh…yea," she replied after a few moments. "Let me go get it."

Lexi walked up the stairs to her bedroom, where she'd since deposited her backpack and quickly fished out the permission slip she'd been afraid to show her father. He probably would be worried about the content and how it would affect them, and it also might bring back some bad memories for him. But she didn't remember hearing Gracie ask him to sign her slip. How had she gone about it? And if he'd known about it already, Lexi was sure he would've brought it up with her also, because the video was shown to all seventh graders. She decided to go ask her sister, even though she was obviously in a bad mood.

Lexi knocked softly on her twin sister's door and then opened it without waiting for an answer. It's not like either of them gave each other privacy much anyway. She was met with annoyed eyes, her sister hunched over her desk doing homework. Gracie's room, as usual, was neat and impeccable. So clean it almost made Lexi sick. It wasn't easy being a regular kid with a slightly cluttered room when the kid in the next room kept hers like it might be shown to a realtor any minute.

"What?" She asked, her voice terse. Obviously, she wasn't in a chatty mood, but Alexis plopped herself down on her bed and picked up one of her many stuffed animals. Gracie got up from her chair and snatched the teddy bear out of her sister's hands and placed it back where it belonged.

"I was just wondering," she began, "Have you watched that child-birthing video in health yet?"

As Gracie's twin, Alexis knew her idiosyncrasies well and didn't miss her eyes darting away for a split second, and her jaw changing positions just slightly. "Yea, why?"

Alexis whipped out her permission slip from her back pocket and presented it to her sister. However, she didn't take it and stared down her sister. "Then how did you get Dad to sign the permission slip? I have to ask him now to sign it, and I'm not sure how to bring it up. What did you do?"

Though she sounded nonchalant, Gracie knew what her sister was after. She just had to know what had happened at school. She'd probably already found out some details from her friends and was trying to rub it in. Her father knew she'd forged his signature. Miss Coleman told her she'd have to tell him the whole truth about what happened, even if her father might be disappointed. Alexis just had to have it all out in the open.

"You just can't mind your own business, can you?"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "I don't see why it's such a big deal. You can't tell your own twin sister?"

"Who's also the school's biggest gossip!" Gracie pointed out.

"I am not!" Lexi defended herself, "But seriously, what did you say to Dad?"

Gracie grumbled and walked back to her desk, plopping down. "I didn't okay? I forged his signature. Are you happy?"

Alexis felt bad that she'd obviously upset her sister even more. Sometimes her nosiness got in the way, and her sister's goody-two-shoes personality really got annoying. This time, she'd probably pushed a little too far.

"No," she said a bit quietly. "I wasn't trying to make you feel bad, I just wanted to…"

"You just had to know what happened. I heard," Gracie finished for her. "Would you please leave so I can do my homework? I'm sure you have lots of gossiping to do."

Alexis stood with a sigh and walked to her sister's desk. She laid a hand on her shoulder and kissed her head. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

A while later, Lexi sat at the kitchen table, as she began to complete what little homework she had for the night on her dad's laptop. All she had to do was write a one-page essay for Social Studies and do a few math problems. She'd already finished her math, and was now about halfway through her essay while her father finished up the dishes in the kitchen. Lexi also had AIM running simultaneously, chatting with her friends with the sound turned off as she completed her assignment.

Lexi stayed true to her word and didn't talk about what had happened with Gracie earlier at school. No one was really asking her about it, evidence that Gracie had probably blown things way out of proportion. She always thought she was being talked about, and everyone was out to get her. Only, no one really paid much attention to what she did. Lexi just focused on talking to her best friend Jolie about what had gone on with their group of friends during the day.

Sexylexi: what r u up to?

Jolie96: s.s. essay. barf.

Sexylexi: lol me too. sorta…

Jolie96: i cant believe u didn't get sent to the office in s.s.

Sexylexi: lol i know! he was rly pissed

Jolie96: does ur dad know u made another myspace page?

Sexylexi: heck no

Sexylexi: i'm being careful

Sexylexi: I'll have to be more careful in s.s. so he doesn't catch me and tell my dad

Jolie96: fer sure

"Lex, you're not chatting are you?" Nick asked from the kitchen. He kept hearing the keyboard going but knew she only had a one-page essay to do. Surely, by now, she'd be done with the rate she was typing.

"No, Dad," she fibbed. "Not really, just a couple messages."

Nick wiped his hands on the dishtowel as the soapy water drained from the kitchen sink. "I think you better sign off until that essay's done."

Alexis was quite the talented multi-tasker, she had to admit, but knew she'd definitely get her work done faster with no distractions. It was just more fun to work and chat a little at the same time. "What if I put up an away message? Just in case someone _really_ needs to talk to me?"

She gave her father her most angelic look, which he smirked at as he dried some dishes. "Fine. Turn the sound back on so I can hear if you're slacking."

Lexi accepted the compromise and unmuted the computer. She told Jolie she had to put up an away message and do her homework exclusively for a while. To be safe, she closed down her chat windows in case her father happened to walk by and began focusing on her essay.

After about ten minutes, Lexi got up to use the restroom, leaving the laptop up and running. By that time, Nick had finished drying the dishes and headed to the kitchen to clear the placemats up. As he was picking up the last placemat, he heard a ding from his laptop, and knew Lexi had received another message. Obviously, this plan was not going to work. Knowing Lexi, she'd be chatting away in no time, so he decided to sign her off. As he looked at the screen, he saw it was her best friend Jolie who had messaged her. The screen that had popped up also showed the history of the conversation so far that evening. Nick wasn't the type of parent to snoop around and micro-manage his daughters, but he happened to glance at the content and what he found upset him. Almost getting sent to the office? Lexi having a myspace page after he'd made her delete hers not two months ago? Lexi being in a little bit of trouble with one of her teachers wasn't out of the realm of normalcy, but it was still something he didn't like and he took it seriously.

"Alexis Michelle!" He raised his voice and stood up, resting his hand on the back of her chair. Alexis had just finished washing her hands and putting on some Bath and Body Works lotion when her hear dropped. Getting middle named was never a good thing, especially in that tone of voice. She hurried back into the kitchen, where he stood, looking very displeased.

"What is it, Dad?" She asked, her voice slightly nervous. Alexis had always been a confident child, but she was looking quite hesitant.

Nick gestured at the laptop. "What's this conversation I stumbled upon about you having a myspace account and getting in trouble at school today?"

He watched his daughter's face go slightly white, as it registered she'd been caught big time. She opened her mouth so say something, but stumbled at first. "What are you doing reading my AIM conversations?!"

"I wasn't planning on it, but Jolie was messaging you again, so I was going to turn it off. Your conversation was right on the screen. Now answer my question. Do you have a myspace account again?"

"Yes, but I'm only friends with kids at school!"

"I thought you and I jointly deleted your account two months ago because we decided you're too young," Nick said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"_You_ did," she replied. "But I made a new one. Everyone at school has one, Dad. It's not a big deal."

Nick let out a throaty grunt, fully annoyed that Alexis had done such a thing, especially after the long talk they'd had about how unsafe myspace was for a twelve year old girl. Especially one as completely boy-crazy and, dare he say, flirtatious as Alexis. It was a recipe for disaster. The minimum age was thirteen, but he didn't think he'd be comfortable with the girls having an account even then. He'd like to keep them off the site forever, with all the crime he'd seen, but knew that wasn't possible. Nick had told his daughters they could get an account when they reached high school.

"It is definitely a big deal, Alexis! You waited, what, a little over a month after I specifically told you not to go on myspace before you got back on again? After I deleted your account? And now you're logging on at school when you're supposed to be getting an education?"

"Dad, I'm sorry," she said, with a bit of annoyance to her voice.

"Well, sorry doesn't really cut it, Lex. You deliberately disobeyed me, not to mention you're not even old enough by myspace's standards to even have an account. I'm really disappointed in you."

Alexis chose to be silent, with her arms crossed in front of her. It wasn't fair that he'd invaded her privacy. But at the same time, she'd done something he told her not to do, and she knew that was wrong. And the minimum age was thirteen, and she was going to be thirteen in about a month!

"Log onto your account right now," he instructed her, his voice no-nonsense as he pulled out the chair for her. "We'll delete it again, and if I find out you do this again before you're in high school, you're gonna be in real trouble."

Lexi let out an annoyed grumble as she took a seat in the chair. It wasn't as if she was friending unknown people who might secretly be kidnappers and child molesters. All her friends on the site were kids from school. And she would never, not in a million years, ever try to meet any one she didn't actually know. He didn't give her enough credit, but Lexi kept her mouth shut because she knew his job made him worry more than a normal parent would.

She logged onto her account and then slouched down in her chair, crossing her arms with a scowl on her face. Nick reached around her and found the delete command easily. With one click and then a confirmation, Lexi's account was gone. When it was done, neither of them really had anything to say for several prolonged moments. Nick hated that he felt he couldn't trust Alexis.

"Give me _Twilight_," he told his daughter, holding out his hand. Alexis gaped at the request. Both his daughters were avid bookworms, and like much of the rest of the teenage girl population in this country, they were reading Stephenie Meyer's book series about vampires.

"Dad, no!" She argued, finding the demand both cruel and unusual punishment. "They just started the baseball game! This is where it gets really good!"

"Tough," Nick told her, knowing exactly what to take away from his daughter to make her really think twice about disobeying him again. Alexis mumbled under her breath as she climbed the stairs slowly to her bedroom and retrieved her beloved book, which she'd saved three weeks' allowance for because there was no chance of being able to check it out from the library anytime soon. Reluctantly, she trudged back down the stairs and passed the book to her father, feeling her heart wrench over it a little. "Thank you. And since you can't use the computer for what it's for at school, you can kiss it goodbye for a while at home, other than homework."

Nick began to walk into the living room to perhaps relax a little before he headed up the stairs to talk to Gracie, but Lexi wasn't having it. "So I get into a tiny bit of trouble at school, and Gracie forges your signature, and she gets off scot-free? How is that fair?" She followed him into the living room, looking livid. "People go to prison for forging signatures and you did what? You probably just told her not to do it again!"

Nick turned in his place, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm not debating with you, Alexis."

"It's because you always go easier on Gracie because she's such a baby!" She accused him. "It's not fair!"

"For your information, I haven't had a chance to talk to Gracie yet, so cool it," he told her, staying calm, but firm. His cell phone rang, interrupting their argument. Nick and Alexis held each other's gazes as he snapped his cell phone out of its holder on his hip. "End of discussion, Alexis. Why don't you head upstairs and finish your homework."

"I need your computer," she said shortly as his cell phone continued to ring.

"Fine. Make sure the screen's where I can see it. Sit at the end of the table."

Nick let out a heavy sigh as he flipped his phone open, seeing the number wasn't one he recognized. He decided to answer it anyway. "This is Nick Stokes."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "Uh…hi. Mr. Stokes, this is Miss Coleman from school. I think I need to talk to you right away about Gracie."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thanks to my reviewers! You rock! This is horribly unedited, so sorry for any mistakes. Please review! ___

Nick touched his fingers to his eyes, rubbing them in frustration. Did this woman not know how to mind her own business? What could possibly have happened between now and the end of the school day? Even though he was from Texas, and had been brought up minding his southern manners, he was getting a little peeved with this Miss Coleman and knew he was about to get a little short with her.

"We need to talk _now_?" There was a hint of annoyance in his voice. While some parents may like to be called at home by their children's teachers, Nick had never really been one of them. He wanted to be kept up to date on his kids' school progress, but a simple e-mail would be very much preferred, rather than this intrusion on his personal time. Plus, he'd heard enough from Miss Coleman for the day.

"Yes," Miss Coleman answered rather firmly from the other end. "We do. I just got a call from Gracie."

Nick furrowed his eyebrows and turned in the direction of the stairs, which led up to all the bedrooms. He wasn't sure if somehow he'd expect to magically find out the reason for his daughter calling, but it was the first thing he thought of. "From Gracie? Why? What'd she say?"

"She was very upset," she explained, using her fingers to rub out some of the tension in her forehead. It had been a long, trying day, and the call she'd just received from Gracie Stokes had been worrisome to say the least. "She...she wants me to come over."

By this time, Alexis had picked up from her father's words and tone that something was wrong with Gracie. She knew eavesdropping was wrong, but she couldn't resist. Lexi sat in front of the computer, her fingers idle at the keyboard as she listened in.

"She wants you to come over?" He repeated, highly puzzled, and slightly offended. Sure, he hadn't had a chance to go up and talk to Gracie yet. Nick figured she wanted her space to think, as she always did, and didn't want to be hassled just yet with facing all the questions. But now she was calling up her English teacher, wanting to talk to her instead?

"Yes," she explained, highly uncomfortable with the idea. While she'd made house calls before, it wasn't something she liked to do. It always felt like she was crossing a line, invading someone's territory. Sometimes visits were met with hostility from the parents' part, and based on how standoff-ish Mr. Stokes had been earlier, and his tone of voice now, she didn't think she'd be let in, let alone invited. "Believe me, it's not something I usually do, but..." she trailed off, unsure of how to continue. They didn't teach this kind of stuff at the teacher's college.

"What, is she upset about what happened at school still?" He asked, and noticed that Alexis wasn't doing anything at the computer. Her neck was starting to turn ever so slightly to the side to eavesdrop on what was being said. Nick started walking towards his office, which was across the main hallway, away from the kitchen, dining room, and living room. He shut the door firmly behind him.

"I think so," Miss Coleman said sympathetically, nervously twisting some hair between her fingers. Talking with parents made her nervous altogether, but for some reason Gracie and Alexis's father seemed to completely zap her composure. She couldn't think of the right things to say, and was sure she sounded like an idiot. The fact that he was so good-looking and the bonus that he was from Texas sure wasn't helping. But no, she wasn't allowed to have a crush on a student's parent. "She wasn't making much sense over the phone, just that she was worried about what everyone thought, and..."

Miss Coleman bit her tongue, not wanting to repeat what else Gracie had told her. She was also worried about the effect the unit might have on her father. She didn't want him to have to remember the day their mother died. Gracie wanted her to talk to her father, but Miss Coleman had told her that was something she needed to share with him.

She heard Nick sigh over the phone, obviously frustrated. She'd come across quite a few single mothers in her few years of teaching, but hardly any single fathers. It was more of a rarity, and even rarer to find such a good one. Despite his slightly standoff demeanor earlier, she could tell Nick cared greatly about his two daughters. Through her conversations with the girls, she could tell they were loved, and the girls loved their father wholeheartedly. It wasn't really her place to comment on people's parenting skills, but Nick was one of the good ones. Having an absent parent, whether it be to divorce, death, or distance, was always a hard thing, but Gracie and Alexis were incredibly well-adjusted. Both girls had their issues, like any other kid, but she could tell they had a caring, loving home.

"So what you're saying is she'd rather talk to you about what happened today?" Nick said, slightly hurt. He knew he sounded defensive, but it was kind of upsetting. His Gracie, a kid he'd spent the last twelve years raising himself, who he'd had hundreds of conversations and cuddling sessions with, preferred talking to a teacher she'd known for what, two months?

"No," Miss Coleman said, feeling very uncomfortable. "I think it's just that this is a very sensitive subject for her, and as kids get older, sometimes they're not as comfortable talking to a parent of the opposite sex."

"Not as comfortable?" Nick's pitch went up a little in shock. Gracie had always told him everything, eventually. While at times, he knew to steer clear of her until she was ready to talk, when the time was right, she always spilled her guts to him. She hadn't kept a secret from him ever. They were a very tight-knit family, and Nick knew his relationship with Gracie was especially strong. Alexis had always talked to him also, but he sensed now that she was getting older she liked to confide in her friends about things. Gracie was his daddy's girl, and there'd never been anything he hadn't been able to fix or talk through with her. He knew he was protective, but he didn't know how else to be with her. "I'm her father. She's always told me everything."

"I know, Mr. Stokes," Miss Coleman said sympathetically. "And I don't mean to intrude. I just thought I'd offer to help, in case you were having any trouble."

Though Nick didn't know this Miss Coleman very well, he could tell she was genuinely concerned. Not many teachers at all took the initiative to call students' parents at home with problems. She was taking time out of her own evening to check up on Gracie and offer her help. He thought of Gracie upstairs, still upset. And while he knew she trusted him and felt comfortable going to him about most things, he needed to be respectful of her changing feelings. The girls were, as Miss Coleman pointed out, getting older and as young ladies they may not want to discuss certain things with him. That was something he was going to have to get used to. Though Miss Coleman had been getting on his nerves slightly, the girls seemed to trust her implicitly. That was something he should be thankful for, not resentful of.

"Okay," he sighed. "I just want Gracie to be happy. And obviously she's taken a liking to you and trusts you a lot. So, uh…I mean, if you're willing, you're welcome to come over and talk to her."

Miss Coleman was relieved and very nervous at the same time. She was glad Nick decided letting her help was a good thing, but also nervous that she might mess things up. And she was even more nervous about going over to the Stokes home itself. That meant she would be seeing Nick again. She wondered what the house would smell like, and what kind of home he kept. Would he be dressed in work clothes or more lounge-y clothes? What should she wear? Why did she even care?

She cleared her throat as she felt her heart racing slightly. "I'd be glad to," she told him. "Just tell me how to get there, and I'll be right over."

Nick found out which direction Miss Coleman was coming from, which wasn't that far from where they lived, and gave her instructions how to get to their house. He asked her to wait about thirty minutes to leave so he could go up and talk to Gracie a little before she arrived. They hung up, and with a slight sigh, Nick opened his office door. Alexis was sent careening into him, startling them both. Lexi caught her balance and straightened her body up. She looked up to see her father looking at her, displeased, but slightly amused.

"And what are you doing?" He asked as she struggled to find an answer quickly. She folded her arms across her chest and bit her lip.

"Uhhhh…"

"Save it, Lex," he told her, putting his hand on her shoulder as he steered her out and towards the stairs. "You were eavesdropping, you little sneak."

"Well it's because no one will tell me anything around here!" She argued as she was steered towards the stairs. Nick knew that Alexis, for some reason, felt entitled to know everyone's business. It was annoying at times, but at the same time it was somewhat amusing. "Is Miss Coleman coming over?"

"Maybe, maybe not," he told her as he guided her up the first step. She turned in her place and eyeballed him suspiciously. He could tell she was excited that her English teacher was coming over. What was so special about Miss Coleman? His girls sure seemed to know. "Why don't you take your shower and then finish your essay up in your room."

Lexi looked at him incredulously. "And miss out on Miss Coleman?! Hell no! Dad, I wanna talk to her!" She tried to move past him, back down the stairs, but he blocked her.

"If, hypothetically, Miss Coleman were to come to this house, it would be to discuss very important, highly classified information about you or Gracie, not to have a slumber party and talk about boys or whatever it is you wanna talk to her about," Nick explained.

"Dad, that's not what –" Lexi was cut off.

"Alexis, up the stairs," Nick told her, a little more firmly. He pointed, as if that might clear up some confusion. "Please. We need to have a private discussion. I need you up in your room, not eavesdropping or butting in."

His youngest daughter considered him for a moment, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Does Gracie get to talk to her?"

Nick ran a hand through his hair. Alexis never gave up easily, a trait she'd inherited from her mother. How was it that Alexis had never known her mother, and yet her personality was so similar? "Alexis. I'm not telling you again. March."

Alexis let out a highly dramatic grumble before she did an about-face and stomped up the stairs. If Lexi was ever angry or upset, the world knew. He wasn't surprised to hear her bedroom door slam a few moments later. Nick closed his eyes for a moment to clear his head and compose his thoughts before he climbed the stairs to finally talk to Gracie.

He knocked on her bedroom door and waited for her to tell him to come in. She did quietly a moment later, and he could tell before he even walked in she'd been crying again. Her quavery voice always gave her away. Nick gently closed the door behind him and found Gracie sitting on her neatly-made bed with her sketch pad, her face slightly reddened and her eyes sad. He didn't have an artistic bone in him, and had told Gracie many times she got her talent from her mother. Though he was probably biased, he thought Gracie was pretty good at sketching, something she often did when she had things on her mind.

Nick picked up a couple of her stuffed animals, arranged in height order, and set them aside so he had room to sit with Gracie. She immediately drew her sketchpad towards her body, so he couldn't see what she'd been drawing. Nick tried not to take it personally, remembering what Miss Coleman said on the phone. She was almost thirteen, and might not want to show him everything, even if that's what she'd always done.

"Hey. Whatcha doin'?" He asked her gently, making sure he gave her a little space.

In response, Gracie shrugged and tucked her sketchpad under her pillow. Her damn nose was running after her crying session on the phone with Miss Coleman. She pulled her shirt sleeve over her thumb and took a swipe at it, but it didn't do her much good. Gracie wasn't sure if asking Miss Coleman to come over had been a good idea. She wanted her to come over because she didn't know who else to talk to. Her friends probably got frustrated with her paranoia, and her dad didn't need more to worry about. Lexi, at least today, was out of the question. Miss Coleman was the only person she felt comfortable talking to her problems about, but she hadn't thought about the fact it might hurt her dad. Was he upset she wanted to talk to her teacher and not him? She inspected her fingernails and then wished she hadn't. They'd been bitten down as far as they could go before it started to hurt. Quickly, she crossed her arms over her chest and tucked her fingers between her arms and body.

Nick reached over and gently yanked her ponytail, causing her to smile weakly. He smiled and gave her head a gentle kiss. "So, I know you were upset at school today. Have you had time to calm down about it?"

She shrugged again and turned her head away from him slightly. If she was going to cry, she didn't want to do it in front of him again. He felt bad enough.

"Do you wanna talk about it, sweetheart?" He asked her softly, reaching out to put his hand on her arm. When she didn't respond, he continued. "It always helps if you talk about things. Don't keep it all bottled up, honey."

When she still didn't respond, he paused and removed his hand from her arm. "Miss Coleman called me a few minutes ago," he confessed. "She was worried about you."

Gracie bit her lip. Miss Coleman said she was going to call her dad, but now she felt badly he was finding out through someone else how she was feeling. They always talked about stuff, but this time was different.

"Is she coming over?" Gracie asked softly.

"Mmmhmmm," Nick told her, nodding his head. "She's coming over to talk to you, and if that's who you're more comfortable with right now, that's fine, baby. I know it's hard to talk about. But if you wanna talk to me too, I'm all ears. Okay?"

Gracie nodded in understand. Of course she knew her father was always available to talk. That's the way it had always been, and she knew she could trust him. But this time, she just couldn't. She didn't want to upset him. "I know, Dad," she whispered.

Nick again tried not to take it personally that she wasn't opening up to him. He'd tried everything he could, and knew he needed to back off, even though it was painful for him. Her trust in Miss Coleman was forcing him to put his confidence in the teacher also. He just hoped she could help his daughter.

"Okay, good," he gently pulled her head towards him and kissed her temple again. "Miss Coleman will be here in a little while. Just call if you need me."

His daughter nodded again, not really in the mood for much talk just yet, and then laid down on her bed as Nick stood up. Reluctantly, Nick left the room, closing the door gently behind him. He stopped outside Lexi's room, to make sure she was in there and not scheming to be downstairs when Miss Coleman arrived. Sure enough, he heard her in there singing along softly to something she was probably listening to on her iPod. Once Miss Coleman was finished talking to Gracie, he'd let her come say hello to her teacher as long as she stayed in her room and didn't bother her sister.

Nick wandered into his own bedroom just down the hall. Anyone who happened to go inside would be able to tell Nick was a bachelor. The walls were a stark white, his furniture unmatched and boring, and his comforter a plain dark blue. A few years after the twins had been born, he'd opted to move into a bigger house not only to give the girls more room, but because the old house held too many painful memories. In the old house, he was constantly reminded of the absence of his wife. Her clothes sat in the closet unused, reminding him they'd never be worn again. Her favorite books sat on the bookshelf, never to be read by her again. So when the girls were about two, he was conveniently forced to pack up all her things in boxes and move them into a new house. Once they were moved, he placed most of the boxes containing her things out of sight in the basement. It wasn't that he wanted to forget her. He could never forget her. But the way her belongings just sat around, never to be used, just added to his sorrow. He couldn't move on when her presence was everywhere, pulling him back to the hole of the most painful day of his life. Being in that state of mind wasn't good for his girls, and it wasn't good for him. So he tried to suppress it as much as possible.

The girls, of course, wanted to know all about their mother, especially when they hit preschool and they were the only kids without a mommy. And he talked about her, and made sure the girls knew what kind of person she was, but it was painful. For the longest time, if he talked to the girls about their mother at all, he spent the night after they'd gone to bed quietly sobbing in his room, missing her. Wondering why him? Why them? Why did his girls have to grow up without their mother? At work, whenever he came across a case with a mother abandoning or abusing her kids, he couldn't grasp why they were allowed to live when his wife, who would've been a wonderful mother, had died. How could such scums of the earth be allowed to get to love their kids, be with them every day, then screw it up royally? How could they do that? Did they not realize how lucky they were?

While it was painful, he didn't want his girls to grow up not knowing their mother. When they were about five, he let them open the boxes in the basement with their mother's things. He allowed them to take out what they wanted, so they could at least have a piece of their mother. Even at that early age, Gracie and Alexis seemed to understand what a big deal it was for their father to allow them to do this. While most girls their age might rummage through their mother's clothes carelessly, throwing things everywhere for a lighthearted dress up game, his daughters treated her things with the upmost respect. They delicately removed her things, much like he thought a museum curator might do to a prized medieval garment, and examined them closely and curiously. The girls had no memory of their mother, so this was the closest they had ever come to her, besides pictures. He watched their eyes as they looked through her clothes, her books, and her other possessions, and it broke his heart all over again. They were so eager, so hopeful, that by looking at her things, they would somehow know their mother better. But they would never know her, at least not the way he did. All they had were the pictures, possessions, and stories people told them. And while it helped, it just wasn't enough.

Nick rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms as he stood in front of his dresser. With everything that had been going on, he hadn't even had time to change out of his casual clothes to get ready for work. He wouldn't have time for a long shower now that they were expecting company, so he quickly grabbed a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved red shirt along with some clean boxer-briefs. Nick went into the master bathroom and turned the shower on and quickly stripped down. Working out was his way of relieving stress, so now in his late thirties, he was still in good shape and had a nice build. However, a love life had never been in the cards since his wife died. At first, he just couldn't get over the grief to even think about dating anyone, and then he had his hands so full with his girls he never had the time. His daughters, especially Gracie, kept him busy enough. Plus, he didn't think any woman would dare try to date him with the circus-like life he led. He worked the night shift, still, after all these years, and while he adored Gracie and Alexis, they weren't exactly welcoming. He loved Gracie, but she was a little difficult and unpredictable at times and Alexis was quite, uh…spunky? Nick had determined several years ago that any woman willing to brave his two daughters deserved sainthood.

After a quick shower, Nick dried off and secured the towel around his waist so he could shave at the sink. Miss Coleman would be here any minute, so he quickly dressed and then found a belt for his jeans. As he gave himself a quick look-over in the mirror, the doorbell rang. Suddenly, he felt a knot form in his stomach. He was now clean-shaven and freshly washed – would Miss Coleman think he was trying to impress her? And would she think he was being inappropriate? What was he thinking, allowing a young, attractive female teacher to come over to his home? Nick wondered for the first time if he was confusing the girls. He certainly wasn't interested in dating her. That would be totally inappropriate to date his daughters' teacher. He'd just met her today! He had no feelings about the situation whatsoever, and was going to treat her visit accordingly.

Nick walked out of the bathroom and out towards the hallway, where he spied Alexis's door creeping open. "Get back to work Alexis," he told her without even looking in her direction. He heard a grumble, and then the door closed again. Nick descended the stairs quickly and nudged a basket of dirty clothes into the laundry room before he opened the door.

Miss Coleman got a full whiff of the freshly showered Nick Stokes as the door opened, sending a wave of his scent in her direction. She swallowed and smiled politely as he flashed a slightly nervous grin at her. He'd apparently showered and changed since they'd met at school earlier, which she found odd. Was he trying to impress her or something? Then she remembered from a conversation with Alexis that he worked the night shift. She'd forgotten her assignment yet again, and when she asked Alexis if her mom or dad checked her homework each night, she'd learned her mother was dead, and her father worked the night shift. Of course he wasn't trying to impress her. He was only getting ready for work. She wondered if Nick left the girls alone, or if someone came over to watch them.

"Hi!" He greeted her, probably a little too enthusiastically as he opened the door further for her to come in. "Come on in."

Miss Coleman smiled at him nervously, keeping her hand clasped tightly around the handle of her purse, and her other shoved in her jeans pocket. She opted to come over in casual clothes – jeans and a decent-looking shirt – after much debating. There were enough people in the world who thought teachers always wore skirts and nerdy sweaters and lived at school. She was thirty-one years old, not an old granny, and she happened to have a little fashion sense, unlike some of her colleagues.

"Thanks for letting me come over," she said as he closed the door gently behind him. She couldn't stop herself from looking around a little bit – taking in the bare color of the walls and simple decorations. Like most men, he didn't seem to be much of a decorator. The house, from what she could see, was clean and kempt, just a little plain. "Gracie's seemed to be a little more upset than she usually is."

Nick grinned a little at her comment…_than she usually is_. "Yeah, she can be a little emotional alright," he said, stuffing his own hands into his jeans pockets because he didn't know what else to do with them. "I, uh…I tried to talk to her again and she wasn't opening up to me. I guess it might be female stuff after all."

"Yeah, I bet it is," Miss Coleman agreed, nodding and smiling politely. Nick caught another glimpse of her pearly white teeth and her beautiful features. Where were teachers like this when he was in school? If his seventh grade English teacher had looked like Miss Coleman, he probably would've failed because of the distraction. "Once girls hit middle school they can get pretty sensitive."

The both nodded, unsure of what to say. After a few awkward moments of silence, Nick held out his arm in the direction of the living room. "Why don't you come sit down and I'll get Gracie. Would you like anything to drink?"

Miss Coleman followed him towards the living room, which looked comfortably lived in with books and magazines neatly stacked in various places, a blanket draped over a recliner, and a few picture frames decorating the coffee table. Three pairs of slippers sat out next to the fireplace, and an opened newspaper took up space on the couch. Nick picked up the newspaper and blanket and quickly moved them out of the way.

"No, I'm fine, thanks," she said in her southern belle drawl as she took a seat on one end of the couch. Always curious about what people read, she quickly scanned the stack of books at the end of the coffee table. It looked like all books the girls were reading – _Twilight_, the _Clique_ Series, and several Kate DiCamillo books. She remembered Gracie telling her that was her favorite author. She smiled when she saw a book she'd recommended to Gracie – _Diary of a Wimpy Kid_ – to help her loosen up and laugh a little more.

"Gracie likes to read on the couch," he commented, noticing her checking out the books. "She really liked that wimpy kid book you told her about. It had her laughing."

Miss Coleman felt her face flush red a little bit, but she didn't know why. Less than an hour before, he'd been hostile towards her, and now he was complimenting her. Why the sudden change? "Oh good. Yeah, I was just checking out the collection. Sorry, I'm a big reader and I get a little nosy."

"Oh, that's fine. You're not bein' nosy at all." Nick smiled and couldn't stop himself from staring for a few moments. There was always something kinda sexy about a woman who read a lot. Nick mentally kicked himself in the ass. This was his daughters' teacher for crying out loud, not some woman in a bar (not that he ever got to go to bars anymore). He forced himself to start moving towards the stairs and quit looking at her. "I'll get Gracie."

Instead of just yelling up the stairs like he usually did, Nick climbed the steps up to Gracie's room and knocked lightly. He heard a responsive noise and opened the door just enough to poke his head in. "Miss Coleman's here, honey," he said, finding her wiping at her eyes one last time, and then check herself in the mirror. He wasn't sure why – they both knew she'd been crying – but he supposed it was that strange tween girl mentality. She gave him a shy smile as she walked towards him. He waited for her and gently stroked her ponytail as they began walking down the stairs.

"Dad, you're not gonna sit there with us are you?" She asked him straight up as they descended the stairs.

He'd considered it, but realized Gracie wanted and needed her space. The whole point of Miss Coleman coming over was so she could talk to someone else. If he was there with them, it would defeat the purpose. "No, baby, I'll stay away. I promise," he said softly.

"And you're not gonna eavesdrop?" She checked, looking at his face to check his honesty.

Nick took the lighthearted path and gave her a teasing look. "Do I look like Alexis?"

Gracie smiled – the first smile he'd seen on her since she'd come home. They reached the bottom of the stairs and as soon as his daughter set eyes on Miss Coleman, it was like he wasn't even there. "Uhh…well I'll be upstairs if you two need anything, okay? I'll just be foldin' some laundry before I head into work."

Miss Coleman opened her arm as Gracie walked to the couch, inviting her to come sit next to her. Nick wanted to hide somewhere and observe. Gracie wasn't a kid who easily trusted anyone. It took any adult quite a while to be let into her circle of trust, and here Miss Coleman was, having only known her a couple months, putting his arm around his daughter.

"Thanks, Mr. Stokes," Miss Coleman almost cooed as she squeezed Gracie's shoulder. Nick realized she was acting almost…motherly towards Gracie. "We'll let you know if we need anything."

She offered him a reassuring smile as Gracie rested her head against her shoulder. Nick watched them for a moment and then nodded, and forced himself to head up the stairs. No matter how much he wanted to check out her technique, and listen in on what was really bothering Gracie, it wasn't right. He climbed the stairs and went into his bedroom as he promised to fold the latest load of laundry. He did, however, leave the door cracked open so he could hear if there was any crying, laughing, or another loud display of emotion. Plus, he could keep tabs on sneaky miss Alexis.

After almost half an hour, he finally heard Gracie call him from the bottom of the stairs. Her voice sounded light, and not sad and depressed as it had earlier in the day. Nick had since resorted to watching a little TV in his room, with the sound down low. Whatever he'd been watching, he hadn't really been paying any attention to. In a flash, he was up and heading down the stairs to see how things had gone.

Miss Coleman was just standing up and collecting her purse, with Gracie standing by looking more relaxed and calm than she had in a week. "Hi, Dad," she said, and gave him a big hug. He hugged her back and noticed Miss Coleman smiling at the sight.

"Hey, baby. You feeling a little better?" He asked her, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

She nodded into the hug and then pulled away slightly. "Yeah. We talked about a lot of stuff."

"Well, good," he winked at his daughter as her teacher crossed the room. It didn't matter that he hadn't been the one to work out his daughter's problem. He was just happy and relieved that Gracie was obviously doing much better.

"I hope I haven't kept you from work," Miss Coleman said as she approached the father and daughter.

"Oh, no," he waved it off with his hand. "I've still got a little while. Thanks so much for coming over to talk. It seems to have helped."

They all heard a bedroom door open upstairs and paused in their conversation. "Dad! Can I come down?"

Nick rolled his eyes in jest and shook his head, causing Miss Coleman to smile. "Alright, Lex. You can come say hi."

Alexis bounded down the stairs quickly and all but crashed into her English teacher with a hug. "Miss Coleman!" She explained as she was hugged by her decidedly favorite teacher. Miss Coleman looked just as pleased to see her, not in a polite way that some adults hug kids when they know they have to act excited to see kids. She seemed genuinely happy to see his kid.

"Lexi!" She greeted her. "How's it going?"

"Good," she beamed as she pulled back from the hug. "I talked to Caylee about that one thing, and it's much better now."

Nick hadn't heard anything about something going on with her friend Caylee, so he knew he must be missing out on several parts of his daughters' problems. Miss Coleman read his mind. "Girl stuff," she told him in a bit of a whisper, and he nodded in understanding. "Did you finish _Twilight_?"

Alexis gave her father a humored glare, which he raised his eyebrows at in amusement. "No. My dad took it away from me."

"Uh oh," she commented, sensing trouble.

"Yeah, I got in trouble in social studies again," she admitted.

"Lemme guess. You were in the computer lab?"

Alexis nodded her head, a little embarrassed obviously. "Lex, you can't do that, girl, come on," Miss Coleman said. Nick kind of expected his daughter to get mad or at least annoyed, at being reminded she'd done something wrong. That's what he got, anyhow, when he brought up something bad she'd done. However, with Miss Coleman, she didn't seem bothered. In fact, she seemed to own up to it.

"I know, I know," she mumbled. "I won't do it again." She perked up suddenly. "Oh! Can I still borrow _New Moon_ from you when I'm finished with _Twilight_?"

"Sure, Lexi," she told her. "As long as it's okay with your dad."

Alexis looked at her father with a hopeful look on her face, waiting for his answer. "That's the sequel to _Twilight,_ I assume?" He asked, slowly becoming more proficient in young adult literature.

"Yeah, and then you'll find out what a jerk Edward really is, and how awesome Jacob is," Gracie commented, who'd been silent up until that point. Gracie had told him about the book series on several occasions. He didn't understand it all, but apparently she thought some Jacob kid from the books was much better suited to the main character Bella than Edward the vampire. Nick didn't pretend to know what was going on.

"Jacob sucks. I've already decided," Alexis said, quite confident.

"You haven't even read the book. You're so prejudice," Gracie quipped.

Nick was afraid he was going to have to break up a fight between the girls, but Miss Coleman miraculously smoothed it over, making it look easy. "When you read the second book, and the third and fourth, you'll just have to decide for yourself," she advised Alexis, giving both girls a smile. "Well, I need to be heading back home. I've got papers to grade."

Both girls instantly pleaded with her to stay a little longer, but Miss Coleman didn't want to overstay her welcome. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" She told them both. "If you want, you can stop in before the bell rings in the morning."

This offer seemed to appease the girls, so they decided it was okay to let Miss Coleman on her way. "Alright girls, say goodbye," Nick told them both, checking his watch. He needed to leave for work in about fifteen minutes. Miss Coleman hugged both her students and they exchanged a few more friendly words between them.

"Upstairs, please," Nick instructed his daughters. "You can start brushing your teeth."

The girls both reluctantly began to climb the stairs, looking back at the pair of adults a little mischievously. They giggled to each other as they raced up the stairs. Nick shook his head at their behavior as they began walking to the door.

"Thanks again for coming," he told her as they stopped just short of the front door. "She really cheered up, and Lexi was excited you came too."

"It was my pleasure," she said, adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder. "And if either of them needs to call me about a problem, that's totally fine. It's not an intrusion at all. Really."

"Well, I'm sure they'll probably take you up on that," Nick said honestly. They both obviously adored her. "They seem to trust you a lot, and I know they don't tell me everything. So…thanks."

"Not a problem," she said. They stood in silence for a few moments, both feeling like they needed to say something else, but not sure exactly what it should be. Once Nick had thoroughly embarrassed himself with his lack of knowledge about what to say to a woman, he cleared his throat and moved to open the door.

"Thanks again," he said as she went out the door. "Oh, uh…Miss Coleman?" She stopped and turned to face him again.

"Is there any way you could, uh…hint me in as to what's goin' on with Gracie?" He hoped to gain a little insight into what was making her tick lately.

She smiled at his request. "She asked me not to say," Miss Coleman told him honestly. "But I assure you it's nothing dangerous. She just wanted a female to talk to."

"Oh. Okay," he said, a little disappointed, but he respected the fact Gracie asked her not to say anything.

"But uh," she took a step back towards the door. "I think it would really help if we set up a conference soon…to talk about some issues the girls are facing."

In guy land, that sounded an awful lot like an invitation for a date. But, no, he was being ridiculous. It was a formal meeting with a parent and a teacher to discuss a student. Any other sort of agenda would be totally inappropriate, and not at all what Miss Coleman was implying. At least he didn't think so.

"Um, yea," he agreed, nodding slightly. "I think that sounds great. Would after school on Thursday work?"

"I don't have my planner with me, but I think that should be fine," she assured him. "I could call you tomorrow afternoon to set it up for sure."

"Great," he said, putting his hand on the doorknob nervously, shifting his weight.

"Great," she smiled. "See you Thursday."

Miss Coleman began walking to her car, and Nick watched to make sure she got there okay. Once she was inside, he waved at her and went inside. After closing the door behind him, he leaned back against it, letting his head rest on the wood. All of a sudden, he heard kissy sounds coming from the direction of the stairs, followed by giggles. They didn't show their faces, but of course he knew who it was. He couldn't stop himself from smirking.

"Get your little behinds in bed."

_Please Review! Yes, that means YOU! :D_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So, this chapter is at about 16 pages, but I'm slightly stuck (which has happened several times, hence the delay!). I feel very bad that I haven't updated in quite a while, so I've decided to split it in two and post the first half right now. Thanks for being patient, and a special thanks to Ladybug07 and lostladyknight for reading and giving me suggestions. :D

_His eyes were barely open, but he easily used his touch to scoot a little closer to his beautiful wife. In the wee hours of the morning, Nick scooted up behind his wife in bed so they were spooning, and heard a contented sigh escape from his wife's throat. He grinned at the sound - the greatest sound in the world as far as he was concerned. It was something he'd never get tired of hearing._

_"Morning, babe," he whispered, his lips finding the side of her throat. Nick pressed a gentle kiss on her alabaster skin, then another, then another. He felt her smile next to him as he continued until he reached just below her ear._

_"You're evil, Stokes," she told him, her voice slightly groggy. It was only 6:10 in the morning, but Nick still had trouble controlling himself around his wife, no matter what the hour. They always said there was a honeymoon period with relationships - a period when no matter what was going on, you still felt almost painfully attracted to your partner. Life was perfect, and Nick couldn't imagine being any happier._

_He moved his hand underneath her tank top to caress her flat tummy, and heard her giggle again. She turned onto her back, a playful look in her eye. Nick propped himself up on one elbow so he could look at her. With no make up, no hair styling, she was absolutely gorgeous. In fact, he much preferred her this way than all made up with foundation, lipstick, and mascara. His wife was a natural beauty, and he was absolutely crazy about her._

_"God, you're beautiful," he whispered to her as he studied her face - her supple lips, her beautiful dark brown eyes, dilated now in the darkness, and her great smile as she giggled. Nick leaned down and captured her lips in his own, her mouth pliant and sweet. Kissing her was like heaven._

_"You're not so bad yourself, Stokes," she said as she let her fingers run through his short, brown hair. His hard body was molded against hers, all warm and inviting. There was no place she'd rather be._

_He lowered his head to place more kisses all over her face, her neck, and her sternum. She let herself become lost in his affection. She was happiest here, with him, just laying in bed and yes - being kissed by him. Unlike some of her past lovers, he had no problem showing his affection wherever and whenever he felt like it. He was the most loving person she'd ever met, which is why she knew he'd take her news so well._

_"Nicky?" She asked him a few moments later, as he pushed her tank top strap to the side to kiss her collarbone._

_"Mmmhmmm?" He responded and continued to kiss her body. She gently ran her hands over his shoulders and upper arms as he continued. If he kept things up, the distraction would cause her to forget to tell him the big news. She smiled to herself as she let her hands run over his warm, bare skin._

_"I have something to tell you."_

_The tone of her voice alerted Nick this wasn't something minor, like she was getting her hair cut, or she wanted to go shopping this weekend. He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her gentle face, giving her his full attention._

_"What is it babe?" He asked softly, clasping one of his hands with hers._

_"I, uh...I'm pregnant," she said a little hesitantly. Despite her certainty that he would be elated with the news, there was still a small part of her that was afraid he'd be horrified. Would he be frightened at the thought of fatherhood? Would he not be ready? There was nothing she wanted more in the world, to be a mother. They'd talked about the possibility before, but this pregnancy hadn't exactly been planned._

_Nick's face registered shock for only a moment before it turned to complete excitement. He smiled wider than she'd ever seen him, his laugh lines spreading across his beautiful face, and around his eyes. At that moment, she knew everything would be okay. Of course he would be excited about being a father. She'd seen him with children, and he was amazing - so loving and caring. He leaned down and captured her lips again._

_"I love you," he whispered, his lips hovering over hers._

_"I love you too."_

"Dad!!" A thoroughly annoyed voice startled Nick out of his nap on the living room couch. Nick jolted awake and saw his daughter Gracie looking down at him with her hands on his hips. Did she know how much she looked like her mother?

Nick scrubbed a hand over his face as he sat up straight. It was the beginning of the girls' day, which meant the end of his. Nick was very much ready to go to bed and not wake up for hours and hours, but first, he needed to get the girls ready and off to school. He'd sat down on the couch for just a few moments, and was so tired he must have drifted off.

"What is it, honey?" He asked her, his voice groggy.

Gracie sighed, annoyed that she had to explain herself yet again. "I need you to quiz me, Dad!" She reminded him. "We have a grammar test today."

Gracie held up her study guide paper and waved it around a little bit to remind him. His daughter was a straight-A student, and very uptight and worried about tests and quizzes. Any time she had one coming up, she spent hours studying, and demanded to be quizzed by her father in preparation, right up through breakfast the morning of.

"Oh right," he said, clearing his throat. Nick held out his hand to accept the paper, which Gracie quickly handed over.

"I need to eat breakfast though," she continued. "So can you quiz me at the table?"

Alexis rolled her eyes from where she sat on the recliner, eating Cheerios out of her bowl. Her sister was way too into following the rules and psychotically too much into studying. She had the same test that day, in Miss Coleman's class. Last night, she glanced at the material for about fifteen minutes and called it quits.

"Sure, baby," Nick said, getting up from his chair. He looked over at Alexis, eating in the leather recliner like she wasn't supposed to. "Alexis, eat that at the table, please. You know the rules."

Lexi grumbled loudly. "Dad, it's not like we're five years old anymore. I'm not gonna spill it all over the couch," she said as she began to close the foot rest. Doing so caused her wrist to turn a bit, and a little stream of milk spilled out and onto the leather recliner.

Nick simply raised his eyebrows at her. "Is that right? Clean it up, please and you can join us at the table."

He followed his oldest daughter to the table, where her Rice Krispies sat, still popping energetically. Alexis stood up and brought her bowl to the table and sat down. "Alexis, now," he told her. "It's gonna ruin the leather if you leave it too long."

"But, Dad -"

"Alexis!" He raised his voice, incredulous. Nick didn't understand how his youngest wanted to argue with him all the time, seemingly over nothing. How hard was it for her to get a paper towel from the kitchen and wipe up the milk? It would take her ten seconds, and still she argued.

Alexis grumbled loudly and walked angrily into the kitchen. She couldn't stand to be treated like a little kid. Sure, she'd spilled a tiny bit of milk on the recliner, but leaving it for five minutes would not make one bit of difference. He just wanted to control every aspect of her life. No myspace, no chatting during her homework, no eating on the couch…did the list ever end? She knew he hated when she gave him attitude, so she was as dramatic and obnoxious as she could be, retrieving a washrag from the sink, and wetting it. She stomped back into the living room and sighed loudly as she wiped up her mess.

When she stood up straight, she was treated to his trademark dad glare, which despite her outward confidence, still usually managed to scare her straight. "Let's lose the attitude," he told her, letting his warning look linger before he turned back to Gracie and her study guide.

Alexis seemed to give in, at least for now, and walked back to the kitchen without stomping. Nick shook his head and let out a cleansing sigh. "Alright, Gracie. Adverb or adjective? The word is correctly. _He correctly defined the terms_."

"Adverb," she answered quickly.

"Good," Nick said as he perused the next section on subject/verb agreement. "Which verb is correct? _The team captain, as well as his players,_ is_ or _are_ anxious_."

Gracie paused for a moment in thought, looking up to the ceiling in concentration. Before she had a chance to answer, Alexis piped in from the kitchen. "Is. If a phrase comes between a subject and a verb, you use the subject, not the pronoun in the phrase."

"Alexis, stop!" Gracie told her sister, annoyed. Everyone knew it was easy for Alexis to catch onto things. It took her a little longer, which was why she needed the extra practice.

"What? I have the same test today. I can't study with Dad?" She retorted as she walked back into the dining room.

"Lex, your sister specifically asked me to help her study," Nick pointed out as she sat down to continue eating. "If you wanna follow along, fine. But keep your answers to yourself."

Alexis took a big scoop of her Cheerios and put the spoon in her mouth. He always defended her, no matter how big of a whiner she was being.

Nick looked back at the paper and tried to focus. He was really sleepy, and not in the mood to deal with sibling rivalry. Both girls were very smart and capable of receiving all A's and B's, but had drastically different study habits. Gracie stressed and poured herself into studying. She meticulously filled out her study guides, made chapter outlines, and took notes, then went back and highlighted and studied them for hours. It was too much, and he'd tried to convey that to her many times, but that's the only way she felt prepared. And what was he going to do? Take away her study time?

Over the years, teacher after teacher tried to reassure her to just calm down and not stress over tests too much, but none of it had ever helped. She always thought she could do just a little more, and was always afraid she would miss something. So, she studied for hours and almost always brought home an A or an A+. Alexis, on the other hand, barely studied and still managed to bring home the same grades. This frustrated Gracie to no end, knowing her sister put forth almost no extra effort, and received mostly straight A's. They both had the same genes, obviously, but somehow had picked up drastically different study preferences.

Nick continued, hoping for no more drama. "Alright. Their, there, or they're. _Alexis and Gracie both need to mind their manners_."

"T-H-E-I-R," Gracie quickly answered. "And I have perfect manners. It's Lexi that needs to mind HER manners."

"And it's Gracie that needs to mind HER own business," Alexis quickly quipped, staring down her twin from across the table.

It was only 7:15 in the morning, and already Nick had reached his catty girl quota for the day. "Alright, that's enough!" He raised his voice for the second time that morning and set the study guide paper on the table. "Since you can't act like young ladies, study session is over."

"But Dad!" Gracie argued, looking thoroughly desperate and frustrated. Morning quiz time was her last chance, besides lunch time and study hall, to do some last minute review. She just wouldn't feel prepared if Nick didn't help her.

"If I hear one more 'But Dad' I'm gonna snap," he told them honestly. "That's the end of it. Finish up your breakfast, both of you. No more talking."

Nick picked up Gracie's empty bowl and took it into the kitchen. Gracie complied, resting her head against her fist in frustration. She knitted her eyebrows and stared down at her study guide to review it in silence. This was really going to wreck her concentration. She would probably only get a B+ now, and all because of her sister. Okay, maybe not a B+. Probably an A-, but that still wasn't enough.

Despite her father's warnings, Alexis had an awful lot of guts. He had told them no talking, which she obeyed, but now she was dead set on annoying her sister. Gracie was way too much of a goody two shoes, and she was frankly sick of Nick enabling her. The kid needed to get off her high horse. Lexi quickly finished up her cereal and let her arm rest on the table. She stared at her sister and began to tap her fingernails on the table in random rhythms. Gracie breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying her best not to snap and give Alexis the response she wanted. Her sister wanted her to lose it and get irate at her.

Nick wasn't sure exactly what had gotten into Alexis that morning, but it wasn't something he was about to sit back and tolerate. She was antagonizing her sister, being almost downright cruel. Nick anticipated the girls having fights sometimes, but lately they'd been even more at odds than usual, and he wasn't sure why. There'd been hardly any peace lately between them.

He really didn't want to snap at Alexis; he hated losing patience with his kids but she had pushed it too far. Nick let the dish he was rinsing off clank loudly in the sink and then angrily walked back into the dining room. Without a word, he helped Alexis stand up from her seat by gripping her upper arm and began leading her to the stairs.

"What'd I do?" Lexi asked him, slightly shocked as she resisted against him slightly.

"You know perfectly well. You can stay in your room until it's time to go. Move it now unless you need more of my help," he told her, not even looking at her. Nick was at his wit's end with Alexis. Both girls knew receiving his 'help' really wasn't pleasant at all, so Alexis chose not to argue anymore. He let go of her arm as she reached the foot of the stairs and then put his hands on his hips. Alexis walked up the stairs with her arms crossed over her chest and slammed her door shut. Afterwards, a stunning silence filled the house, until he heard soft crying coming from the dining room.

If it wasn't one, it was the other. Nick scrubbed his hand over his short hair and took a moment to gather himself together. Was he a bad father for just wanting the girls to get to school so he could have a moment of peace? He loved them wholeheartedly, but the drama was taking a toll on him.

Nick walked over to the dining room, where he found Gracie hunched over her study guide. Her hand was up next to her eyes, blocking them from his view. That's one thing he never understood. Why did she try to hide the fact she was crying, when it was so blatantly obvious she was? It was hard not to hear her low sobbing, punctuated by the occasional sniff.

He stood back, away from the table as he tried to offer her some encouraging words. "Gracie, you can't let her get to you like that," he told her gently. "You know your reactions just cause her to get worse."

"I know," she said somewhat bitterly. Gracie didn't know how many times she'd been told to just ignore her sister, or anyone who bugged and teased her. They always acted like it was easy - it was a small feat to turn the other cheek when someone put you down and made you feel ashamed. Whenever she heard someone making fun of her, especially her sister, she felt her heart begin to race, her hands get clammy, and her blood start to boil. She hated it. She absolutely hated it. It felt wrong not to respond. She was supposed to stick up for herself, right?

"I just...can't," she added, her voice full of defeat. Gracie was sure her father got sick of having to come to her rescue.

"I know it's hard," Nick told her. He wasn't sure if he should mention her mother, because sometimes it upset the girls. But both girls had inherited their mother's passion in different ways - Alexis with her fierceness, and Gracie with her enthusiasm and sensitivity. Nick didn't see how Gracie could get into a worse state of mind, really, so he decided to go for it. "I think you get that part of you from your mother. She didn't like to back down and ignore things. She liked to hit things head on. And that's not a bad thing, sweetheart. You just have to learn to let certain things go."

Gracie had turned in her seat to look at him now. Any mention of her mother, and how she was similar to her, caught her attention right away. "But how do I know?"

Nick took a few steps towards the table and leaned on the edge, right next to Gracie's chair. "Well, that's something you learn as you go. If someone puts you down, you should definitely stand up for yourself. But that doesn't always mean using words. Ignoring them can be just as effective."

Gracie swallowed and wiped at her eyes. She was done crying, and concentrated on picking up any piece of advice her dad had to offer. "Like you mean, with Alexis. Talking to her gives her more power. Ignoring her would take it away."

Nick nodded. "She wants to get a rise out of you, because unfortunately that makes her feel better about herself. If you can find a way to push it out of your mind, do it. Walk out of the room and put on some music or watch TV. Just don't give her the pleasure of getting to you."

He knew it was easier said than done, but he was seriously out of ideas for dealing with the girls' rivalry. If it got much worse, he wasn't sure what he would do. Just then, Nick remembered it was Thursday, and he had a meeting with their English teacher, Miss Coleman, after school. Maybe she would have some ideas.

Gracie let out a cleansing sigh. "Okay," she said, sounding much more positive. "I'll try harder, Dad."

Nick leaned down and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Good girl," he praised her, then looked around the dining room table. Several sheets were out that needed to be collected and put away for school, and it was almost time to leave. "Alright, why don't you get your stuff put away and I'll take you to school."

"I hope I don't fail my test," Gracie commented as they both stood up. Nick raised his eyebrows at her.

"Honey, you're gonna be fine," he assured her. "You studied for hours. Just relax."

Neither him nor his wife had ever been overly concerned about their school work or deadlines at work, to his knowledge. They always worked hard, and did what was asked of them, but never let it take over their lives. He tried to pass on a strong work ethic to his girls, but Gracie went overboard. That was something Gracie had developed on her own somehow. Gracie smiled at him meekly as she put her papers into her English folder, then set it neatly inside her backpack along with the others, arranged in order she'd need them.

Nick walked to the bottom of the stairs and hollered up to his other daughter. There wouldn't be time to give her a lecture before school, but he did plan on giving her one later in the day. "Alexis, let's go!"

Almost immediately, her door flew open and the twelve year old appeared with her backpack on and a scowl on her face. She came down the stairs without a word and headed straight for her father's truck, and got into the back seat where she could be out of sight.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Here's the second installment! Thanks to my great reviewers. :D_

Later that day, Nick nervously pulled back up to the girls' middle school, this time for a conference with Miss Coleman. To his knowledge, neither of them had experienced a breakdown or ran out of class crying, so that was a good sign. Before he'd left, he'd taken a shower and put on some aftershave, then slipped into some jeans and a decent t-shirt for the conference. He liked to look his best, no matter what the occasion, so he told himself that showering right before the conference wasn't taking things too far. He'd just woken up, and a man needed a good, hot shower to get his eyes opened.

He'd forgotten to remind the girls this morning, amidst the chaos they had caused, that they weren't supposed to wait for him at the pick up circle after school. His conference with Miss Coleman was set to start at 3:15, about fifteen minutes after school let out. They'd arranged for the twins to wait in Miss Coleman's room after school until he got there, and then they'd be permitted to wait in the teacher's lounge and eat snacks until it was over. Yesterday, when he'd discussed the plan with his daughters, they hadn't been at all excited about having to stay after school until he mentioned they could stay in the teacher's lounge. It was like being invited into the White House. No one quite knew what went on inside either facility, but everyone was always dying to know. You really had to be "part of the club" to be invited to either place. Getting to sit around in the teacher's lounge was an exciting prospect for the twins, which was why he hoped they hadn't forgotten about staying after school.

As Nick crossed the street towards the front of the school, he could see several kids standing around waiting for rides, but not his. He quickly entered the building and signed in at the front office. The secretary called her room to let Miss Coleman know she had a visitor arriving, and Nick could hear his daughters laughing and talking in the background. He smiled and nodded at the secretary after receiving directions to her room, and headed up the stairs and down the hallway.

He approached room 213 a bit slowly, curious as to what was going on inside. Nick slowed as he approached the door, and moved his body close to the lockers that bordered the wide hallway. He realized he was stooping to Lexi's level, but he didn't care. This woman, this teacher his daughters had, was starting to fascinate him, and he wanted to hear what she talked about with them.

Nick could hear his daughter Alexis, captivating her small audience with a story from elementary school. "So Mrs. Thompson told Heather not to lean back in her chair for like the third time that day," she said, animated. Nick recalled from memory Mrs. Thompson had been her fourth grade teacher. "And of course she keeps doing it. And then during math class, she keeps doing it, and she falls backwards and lands on the floor. And…and," she fought to control her laughing, and Gracie joined in too. "She lets out this FART! This long, drawn out fart! You know the kind that just keeps going, and getting drawn out?"

"Yes, I know the kind," he heard Miss Coleman reply, obviously trying to contain herself. Nick had the privilege of hearing this story several times, and enjoying a re-enactment by his daughter the very evening it had occurred three years ago. "That must've been awful."

The girls were obviously beside themselves, still cracking up, probably red-faced. "I have a really embarrassing story to tell you," Miss Coleman said a few moments later, once the girls had calmed down a bit. Another teacher happened to walk by, so Nick tried to nonchalantly get out his phone to look busy as she passed by. He gave her a friendly wave, and luckily she kept right on going. He just had to hear this story.

"When I was in high school, I had this big crush on one of my teachers," she began. Nick eased a little closer to the door so he wouldn't miss a word. "He was a young teacher, right out of college. And my older brother was friends with him. Stupidly, I told my brother I had a crush on him, and of course he TELLS MY TEACHER," she raised her voice slightly to display her annoyance.

"Oh my God," Gracie sympathized. "How awful."

"Yeah, I faked sick for the rest of the week, and I couldn't even bear to look at him for at least a month. It was terrible," she said, and then must've looked at her watch. "Well, it's almost 3:20 now. I wonder where your dad is."

Nick straightened up and decided he better show his face before they realized he was eavesdropping. He knocked on the opened door and gave a little wave. Miss Coleman was sitting on the edge of her desk, and the girls were both perched on top of a student desk in the front row. "Hi, sorry I'm late."

Miss Coleman stood up and straightened her outfit up a bit, and self-consciously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Mr. Stokes!" She greeted him, walking over to shake his hand. "Not a problem. The girls and I were just telling some funny stories from school."

Nick shook her hand and forced himself to breathe in through his mouth, not his nose, so he wouldn't make the mistake of smelling her again. "Sounds like fun," he commented and then looked over at his girls, who were still sitting on their desks, not at all anxious to move. "Hi girls."

"Hi, Dad," they both said, and both had slightly puzzled expressions on their faces.

"What?" He asked them.

Alexis crinkled her eyebrows. "Are you guys okay? You're both breathing funny."

Alexis and Gracie were quite perceptive, and had noticed their father and Miss Coleman both breathing through their mouths, like they were slowly trying to catch their breath. Both, however, were just trying not to breathe in the others' perfume or aftershave.

Both adults cleared their throats uncomfortably and took a little step away from each other. "I'm fine," they both said simultaneously, then laughed at their jinx.

"We're fine, honey," Nick assured Alexis, hoping she wouldn't continue like she sometimes did. "Why don't you girls head on down to the teachers' lounge so we can talk."

Gracie hopped off her desk, always the most obedient of the two, smiling at her dad. She wasn't embarrassed yet about giving her father hugs in public, and walked up to him for a little affection. Nick wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, Gracie. How'd your test go?"

Gracie smirked and looked at Miss Coleman, who had graded hers during her lunch period because she knew how much she worried. "She got a ninety-six percent," Miss Coleman reported.

"You see?" He told Gracie with a teasing tone. Nick now had her in sort of a half hug, and he pushed and pulled her around gently in jest. He always hoped that through her string of successes, she'd realize she was perfectly capable and didn't have to stress so much, but wondered if it only fueled the fire. Did she attribute her success to all the studying and highlighting, or would she realize she was smart anyway, and didn't need all the extra work?

"I got a ninety-_seven_," Alexis bragged as she hopped down from her desk and pulled her backpack on. She had a smug, proud look on her face until her father shot her a warning glare. "What? I can't be proud of my score too?"

"Lexi, don't start," he told her. "I'm proud of you both. You work very hard."

Alexis didn't say anything as she crossed the room and hugged his other side. Miss Coleman observed the scene, amazed at how quickly the girls had gone from a happy set of girls, to dueling twins in a matter of seconds. She sensed they were competitive, but around their father, they seemed to try to trump each other as much as they could.

"Can we have some money to get stuff from the vending machine?" Alexis requested, holding out her hand. Her father gave her a sheepish smile as he pulled his wallet out his back pocket. He gave both girls a couple one dollar bills to spend as they pleased.

"There you go. Spend wisely," he told them as they headed towards the door. "Don't get all junk."

Nick knew it was a futile request. Like most kids, they downed junk food whenever they could. After the girls were out of sight, Miss Coleman turned to Nick and smiled. "Thanks for coming in today, Mr. Stokes."

"Oh, please call me Nick," he requested as she ushered him towards a small meeting table on the opposite side of her desk, near the windows.

"Okay," she agreed as they took their seats next to each other, facing away from the door. "Nick."

God, he loved the way she said his name. He could get used to that.

"Well, there's a couple things I'd like to discuss with you today," she began formally as she opened up a manila folder that had been stacked in the middle of the table. "But first, do you have anything you'd like to ask me or talk about to begin with?"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. He really felt he could trust Miss Coleman, but he hadn't opened up to really any of the girls' teachers before about their home situation. It was something he kept private, and only discussed with their teachers what was absolutely needed. She already knew so much, it seemed, from Gracie and Alexis. Maybe that was why Nick thought she could actually help them.

"Uh…yeah, actually," he said, leaning forward on the table, rubbing his hands together. "Lately, and I don't know if you've noticed this at school, the girls have been having a lot of rivalry. And it's really starting to concern me. Gracie's just super sensitive about everything, and Lexi seems to feed off that and really torments her. I just…I don't know what else to say to them."

Miss Coleman nodded in understanding as Nick spoke, thinking about things she'd noticed at school. "They can be rather competitive," she agreed. "I think in single parent households, sometimes kids feel they have to fight for their parent's attention. And add to that being an identical twin and being in middle school – well, the rivalry really just seems to skyrocket."

Nick nodded in understanding as she continued. "Do you get so spend much alone time with the girls?"

Unfortunately, with his job schedule and the demands of being a single parent, Nick didn't get to spend as much time with his daughters as he would like. This was something he constantly felt guilty about, and suspected it was a big root of the problem. "Not nearly as much as I'd like, or as much as they need," he admitted. "Being on the night shift really makes it difficult."

"I can understand that," Miss Coleman told him. "I was raised by a single mom on the night shift, and it wasn't always easy." She didn't quite know why she'd just blurted that, but it had just come out. For some reason, Mr. Stokes – no, Nick – felt like someone she could open up to.

"Really?" Nick asked, curiously. She nodded. "Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better, cause look how well you turned out."

Miss Coleman blushed and shifted in her seat slightly. "Thank you," she told him, avoiding his eyes slightly. It was undeniable she felt very attracted to Lexi and Gracie's dad, but he was off limits. It would be totally inappropriate to engage in anything but a teacher/parent relationship with any of her students' fathers. But since when had any of her students' fathers been so damn hot?

"So…" she re-gathered and forced herself to focus on the task at hand. "I know Gracie has been having a few issues with her confidence and nervousness. Most of it seems to stem from her concern about what others think of her."

"Yes," Nick agreed. "She's always been overly concerned with that and I know middle school just magnifies the problem."

"It's a hard time for most kids," Miss Coleman agreed. "And while Gracie _is_ having some difficulties, I think as long as you continue to be there for her, and she's comfortable opening up to you, she's going to be able to deal with it just fine."

As a father, that was one of the most reassuring things he'd heard in a long time. With no family in the area, Nick often felt he was alone in raising his girls and easily felt overwhelmed. Other teachers had offered help over the years, but none of them seemed as genuine as Miss Coleman. He could tell she really did care for both his daughters, and wanted to help them in any way she could.

"Thank you," Nick said genuinely. "That's…incredibly reassuring to hear."

Miss Coleman smiled at Nick. "No problem. They're both special girls and I love having them in class. The girls really are a pleasure to have."

"Well they sure talk about you a lot. You're definitely their favorite teacher this year. Possibly ever," Nick told her, truly meaning it. Gracie and Alexis seemed to totally adore her, and he was very impressed by that. No other teacher had been able to capture their hearts quite like Miss Coleman, and he still didn't even know her first name, oddly. Nick felt incredibly attracted to her, in a way he hadn't felt about any woman in a long time. He really wanted to get to know her better, but at the same time he wasn't sure it was appropriate. Wanting to get to know her didn't necessarily have to involve dating, though. If he just started to see her as a friend, maybe it would be okay.

"I, uh…I don't want to be too forward," Nick began. "But would you be interested in going out with me sometime? You know, as friends?"

Miss Coleman wasn't sure if she'd heard him quite right, causing her to stumble over her words. "Wh-uh-what?"

Nick chuckled a little uncomfortably, afraid that she thought it was a terrible idea. It was really presumptuous of him to assume she was interested in him also. Women were so hard to read. "If you're not comfortable with it, that's fine," he assured her. "But, you seem like a very interesting and caring person and I'd really like to get to know you more."

Miss Coleman couldn't stop her face from blushing yet again. Damn her blushing! She couldn't hide it to save her life. "Wow," she said stupidly, and mentally kicked herself for not coming up with something more impressive. She was an English teacher after all. Shouldn't she be more of a master of the language? "Um, no I'd love to."

Nick was sure she was going to say no, so he was pleasantly surprised. He felt like he was back in high school, nervous about asking out a girl. "Great!" He said probably a bit too enthusiastically. "That's great. Does coffee sound nice?"

"Yeah, sure. I_ love_ coffee," she couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Wonderful," he nodded. "Tomorrow afternoon?"

"Sure!"

"Uh…I know this may sound ridiculous. And I'm sorry…but, I actually don't know your first name." Nick grinned in slight embarrassment. Her name had never come up because the girls always referred to her as Miss Coleman, and since their relationship so far was purely professional, that's all he knew her as.

Miss Coleman let her head fall back as she chuckled. "Teachers don't have first names," she joked. "And we live at school. Haha, no. My name is Stacey." She held out her hand, as if to introduce herself for the first time. Nick took it and gently shook her hand. It was soft and warm, and everything he'd been missing the last twelve years.

"Nice to meet you, Stacey," he said, his voice low and smooth. Their eyes connected, and neither made an attempt to look away. Stacey entranced Nick, and the feeling was mutual.

"Dad?" A voice from the door startled them both out of their trance. Both quickly brought their hands back into their laps, feeling like they were doing something wrong. They turned to see Alexis in the doorway, studying them. She had a bottle of Coke in one hand, and chips in another.

"Yeah, honey?" He asked, turning his body towards the doorway.

"Can we go home now? My stomach feels funny," she requested, putting her hand with the chips over her stomach.

"Well do you think it might have something to do with all that junk food you're eating?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her with a slight grin on his face. Nick stood up, pushing out his chair and Stacey followed suit. Alexis didn't answer as her father walked towards her and put an arm around her shoulders. One of his hands felt her forehead and then he kissed her hair soothingly. "C'mon, let's get you home."

She nodded and looked at Miss Coleman, who looked at her sympathetically. Alexis felt fine, really, but she didn't like what she'd stumbled across. Why was her dad touching Miss Coleman's hand, and why were they looking at each other like that? She loved Miss Coleman, but this was just weird.

"I hope you feel better Alexis," she said gently. "I'll see you tomorrow in class, okay?"

Alexis nodded and offered her a small smile as Nick rubbed her shoulder. "Thanks again for meeting with me," Nick thanked her teacher. "I'll email you."

Stacey didn't miss how Alexis's eyes narrowed at her father's statement. Alexis wasn't quite sure why she didn't like what her dad said, but it didn't sit quite right with her. Nick and Stacey said goodbye and then he left the room with his daughter.

"Where's Gracie? Still in the teachers' lounge?" He asked her.

"Yeah," she said, her voice completely void of any pep or excitement. Nick looked over at her, concerned.

"You alright?" He asked her again.

Alexis didn't answer for a few moments, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why were you looking at Miss Coleman like that?"

Nick scrubbed his hand over his hair a little uncomfortably. He didn't realize Alexis had witnessed his little exchange with Stacey. Not that they did anything very inappropriate, but he knew the feelings he was having and apparently Alexis was sensing something was going on. "What do you mean, baby?"

"You were looking at her funny," she answered immediately as they continued down the hall. "And you were holding hands."

"Lexi, I shook her hand because we were ending the meeting," he explained, but knew that eventually he would have to explain to his kids that he was meeting their teacher for coffee tomorrow. Maybe he should have asked them first.

"You _like_ her," she said with an accusatory tone as they reached the door of the teachers' lounge.

Gracie looked over at the doorway from where her dad and sister were standing. Alexis was always being dramatic, and she wondered what it was this time. Nick sighed and looked into the teachers' lounge at Gracie.

"We'll talk about it in the car," he told Alexis. "Come on, Gracie, we're ready to go."

Alexis stormed back into the teachers' lounge to gather her backpack, a scowl on her face. As Gracie picked up her things, she glanced over at her dad. He offered her a small smile, but looked a little guilty.

The trio was silent as they walked out to Nick's truck and climbed in. Alexis crawled into the back, mostly out of sight, and her sister took the front seat. Nick turned the ignition and let his head rest against the back of the seat for a few moments. The girls needed to know they were going out for coffee together. Not that it was a big deal, but he could be wrong about it.

"Girls, I wanted to let you know Miss Coleman and I are going out for coffee tomorrow afternoon, just to get to know each other a little more," he told them in a level voice. Though Alexis's reaction to the "look" she'd witnessed was a bit off-setting, he chose to treat the event as perfectly normal, because it was. Going out for coffee didn't mean they were dating.

His daughters were both silent for several prolonged moments, unsure of what to say. Gracie turned towards him and broke out in a smile. "Cool!"

Nick smirked at Gracie appreciatively and reached over to squeeze her hand. "Thanks, sweetie. I just wanted to make sure it's okay with you guys. It's not a date or anything, just coffee."

"_Suuuure_, Dad," Gracie told him knowingly. She thought it was pretty neat that her father was obviously interested in her English teacher. It was also obvious both of them was trying to hide it, so for them to finally make a little step was exciting. What if they got married? That would mean she wouldn't have to be the kid without a mother anymore.

"No, honey, really," Nick told her. "She's a really neat person, and you both seem to love her as a teacher, so I want to get to know her a little better."

Alexis had been silent up until that point, but she couldn't take it anymore. "That's bullshit."

Nick turned in his seat to look at his daughter. "Excuse me?"

"It's not just you getting together. I knew you were interested in her the moment she came to our house!" Her tone was accusatory yet again, appalled at the idea of her dad and Miss Coleman being an item. If he thought he was pulling one over on them, dismissing this coffee thing as being "just friends", he was insane. She'd watched enough movies, and read enough books to know that was not the case.

"Lexi, I like her," Nick said. "I admit that, but I would never just start dating someone without talking to you two first."

"Then how come you didn't ask us before you asked her on your _first date_?!" Her voice was rising slightly. Lexi hated when adults thought they could just lie to her. She wasn't a preschooler, and could put two and two together.

"It's not a date," Nick reiterated, his body still turned back towards where she sat in the back seat.

"It is too!"

Nick turned back around and let his head fall back against the rest again. He didn't think this would be that difficult. "Alright, I give up," he said. "If it bothers you _that_ much, I'll just cancel."

Nick put the car in reverse, needing the distraction of driving. Maybe it was a date and he just couldn't admit it to himself. "Dad, no!" Gracie exclaimed from the passenger seat as Nick pulled out of his parking spot. "You can't cancel!"

"Yes, he can!" Alexis pointed out.

"Shut up, Alexis!" Gracie turned in her seat to yell at her sister. "It's not all about what _you _think, you know!"

"It's not all about what _you _think, either!" Alexis spat back, giving her sister's shoulder a shove.

"Girls, let's drop it for now," Nick said, heading for the exit. The last thing he needed today was a big fight between the twins. He'd spend the whole night doing damage control. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gracie shove her sister back. He put his hand on the back of her seat to block them. "Hey. Stop it, both of you. You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"It's not nothing!" Alexis contended. Dodging her father's arm, Gracie reached around the other side and slapped her sister on the leg. "Owww! You skank!" She kicked the back of Gracie's seat. Nick could see this could quickly become a cat fight, so he pulled over to the side of the road.

"Alexis Michelle and Grace Janelle!" He exclaimed, leaning over further to separate the twins. "Unless you wanna spend the rest of the day in your rooms, you better knock it off. Alexis, move to the seat behind me and buckle back up."

Alexis obeyed with a scowl on her face. The girls were now diagonal from each other, effectively separating the two. He shook his head as he jiggled the gear stick. Sons would've been so much easier. "Unbelievable."

As the saying goes, you could cut the tension in the car with a knife for the duration of the trip. Everyone stared straight forward, not daring to say anything more out of fear of setting someone off. Nick was trying to figure out whether this little coffee date was worth the drama it was causing at home. While Gracie seemed open to it, and even happy about it, Alexis was so adamantly opposed that her unease seemed to trump everything else. He really wanted to go out with Stacey, but not at the expense of his girls, whether it was both or just one.

They arrived home, and while neither girl was told to go to her room, that's where they both went and stayed.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: An update! OMG! Apologies again for sucking at updating. :D Hope you're still interested. Please leave a review!_

Later that evening, after a quite painful and mostly silent dinner, Nick re-washed the kitchen counters, cleaning the same spot over and over. It had probably been a mistake to ask Miss Coleman – no – Stacy out for coffee without checking with the girls first. She was, after all, their teacher and it might be highly uncomfortable for them at school. But it wasn't like they were dating. They weren't serious at all, just going out as friends. But if it was so minor, why did Alexis have such a horrible meltdown about it?

He chuckled as he thought of the answer to that question. It was Alexis, after all. Queen of drama both at school and at home. Nick had a feeling that no matter how he'd gone about "asking out" Stacy, she'd have a problem with it. Throughout her childhood, she found the most random, seemingly miniscule happenings to get upset about. He wasn't always sure he handled it the right way, since it was still a constant issue, but he tried to tell himself that was just her personality. After a few days, she'd get over it.

But still it bothered him. What would his wife have done? She would've known the perfect words. He was sure of it. But of course, if she was still here, he wouldn't be having conversations with his daughters about his dating another woman.

Nick tossed the dishrag towards the sink and dried his hands on a dish towel. Gracie had at least made an effort to answer his questions at dinner, but Alexis had flat out refused to look at him. He didn't like the girls going to bed upset, or to have an argument left unsolved. Even though he was certain Alexis wanted nothing to do with him right now, he climbed the stairs in hopes of smoothing things over with her.

He paused outside her door and listened for a moment, hearing no sound from within. After knocking gently, he proceeded inside and found Alexis conked out on her bed. A pen sat, relaxed within her palm, on top of a little green and yellow notebook – her diary. The diary he willed himself not to read, no matter how much he wanted. Most of the time, he just couldn't figure out what was going on in that head of hers. It was past nine o'clock now, a time when both girls usually went to bed. Nick slowly crossed the room, not at all in a hurry to wake her, lying there so peacefully. Whenever he fought with Alexis, it usually calmed him and helped him think through the problem to watch her sleep.

After a few moments, Alexis's eyes fluttered open slowly to find her dad watching her. She crinkled her forehead in confusion but didn't say anything. That father of hers was a real oddball sometimes. When Nick saw she was waking up, he delicately sat down on the edge of her bed, knowing she was always easier to talk to when she was sleepy. Alexis didn't protest when he reached up and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Hi, sweet pea," he whispered, letting his hand come to rest on her arm.

"Hi," she croaked out, her voice obviously tired.

"How are you feeling?"

Alexis shifted slightly on her bed and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hand. She grumbled in response, her eyes protesting against the light, wanting to close.

"Lexi, I know you're upset I didn't check with you first about going out for coffee with Miss Coleman," he told her, not beating around the bush. "But that's all it is. Coffee."

She eyeballed him for a few moments silently. "That's what they always say in the movies, and then they get married."

Nick tried to hold back a chuckle, but he couldn't. "Well, sweetheart, this isn't the movies. I promise if we decide to go any further and actually date, we'll ask you first. You're jumping to conclusions."

Alexis rubbed at her eyes with a frown on her face and began to turn over on her bed before Nick stopped her. He wasn't going to let her get away with avoiding the situation. If his going out for coffee with Miss Coleman really did upset her, he wouldn't do it, but Alexis was also known to be difficult.

"Alexis," he said, grasping her hand. "Talk to me. Why is this bothering you so much?"

Now more awake, Alexis began to sit up in bed so she was at eye level with her father. She took her hand back and drew her knees up closer to her chest. "What if someone sees you?"

Nick asked her calmly, "What do you mean?"

"One of the kids from school? If they see you together with her they'll think it's a date, Dad. They will. And they'll ask me about it and then everyone will start gossiping about it. Do you know how horrible that would be? For everyone to even _think_ you're dating one of my teachers?"

Nick let out a long breath and looked down. She had a good point. The last thing he wanted to do was put his kids in an awkward position just because of who he went out to coffee with. But he was also entitled to have a life.

"Sweetheart, I know at your age you're thinking a lot about what other people think about you, and about your family. Everyone's that way in middle school. But that can't stop you from living your life the way you want to."

"I know, Dad," she told him softly.

"Okay," he said before continuing. "So, think about me. Do you think I shouldn't be allowed to have friends because of what other people think? Do you think Miss Coleman can't have any friends because of what her students think?"

"No," she mumbled, seeing his point even though she didn't want to.

"So, would it be alright with you if I went out to coffee with a friend of mine?" He asked her, not wanting her to feel like she had absolutely no say in the matter. She just needed to see it from his point of view also.

Alexis twisted her mouth to the side for a moment, considering the question, and then looked at her father. He did so much for her, and really got so little in return. What right did she have to stand in the way of going out with a friend? "Alright."

Nick smirked at her slight reluctance, but felt relieved. He knew he had turned a corner with Alexis, to get her to admit stopping him from going out with a friend wasn't fair. Though sometimes her forgiving moods were shortlived, he hoped this little chat would stay with her. He really did like Stacy, and wouldn't be going through all this trouble if he wasn't interested on some level.

"Thank you," he told her, then leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You know how special you are to me, right?"

Alexis couldn't stand corniness. "Yeah, yeah," she said dismissively, tossing her diary into her bedside drawer. "So, if you get to go out with Miss Coleman, can I go out with my friend David?"

Nick quirked an eyebrow at her suspiciously. "Who's David?"

"Some kid," she said evasively.

"We'll see," He told her. "I need to meet him first, just like any of your friends." Nick stood up and stretched slightly.

"I knew you'd say that," she said as she stood up to turn on her stereo. Nick chuckled to himself as he walked towards the door. He didn't want to be a prude and not let his daughters date until a certain age. He was a firm believer that he needed to parent the girls individually, not as a pair. Though Gracie really wasn't interested in dating, or ready, her sister was definitely more of a flirt. If he went purely on instinct, however, he'd keep the male species away from his daughters until they were at least thirty.

"Are you heading to bed soon?" He asked as he reached the doorway and turned around. She'd since gotten out a tiny bottle of bright green nail polish and shook it slightly.

"Yep," she told him as she took a seat on the floor. "Don't worry, I won't take long."

"Alright. Night, sweetheart," he said, leaving the room. Nick shut the door behind him and walked to the next room. Gracie had left her door open – she was still mostly open with him, at least most of the time. She wasn't to the age yet when she wanted to board herself up in her room. Predictably, she sat on her bed in her Spongebob Squarepants pajamas highlighting some school materials.

"Hey," he greeted her.

Gracie looked up from her painstaking work, her yellow highlighter poised in her hand. "Hi, Dad." Her utensil made two quick stripes across some writing in her notebook.

"Why don't you put that aside for a minute," he suggested, pulling out her desk chair to sit by her.

"Dad, can't I study this just a little longer? I know it's bedtime, but there might be a pop quiz tomorrow and I don't wanna," she rambled until her father cut her off.

"Gracie, it's not about that," he cleared up. "But I don't think you need to stress yourself out about a possible pop quiz. You study enough already."

Gracie gave her dad her full attention, setting her notebook to the side. He had that serious tone, when he wanted to say something really important. "I just got done talking with Lex about Miss Coleman. And I know most of the time she's very vocal when something's bothering her. And some things you like to keep from me, when you think it might upset me. So I wanted to talk to you and make sure things are all okay," he said, noticing her eyes darting away. She did that when he was speaking true things, and she didn't want to admit it. "What do you think about Miss Coleman and I going out for coffee?"

Ask her how to find the circumference of a circle, or the capital of Paraguay and she was fine. But ask Gracie to share her feelings when she didn't want to, and she froze up. "Uhhh…well…I think it's kind of great?"

Nick smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. It was scary really how easy she was to read sometimes. "Yeah? Or are you just saying that cause you think it's what I want to hear?"

He watched her sigh, and saw her shoulders slump a little. The identical, but always slightly less confident child of his worried him at times. It was important to him to make sure his daughters knew how to stand up for themselves. Though he raised them to always respect adults, he didn't want them to blindly accept whatever was handed to them. What they thought mattered to him, and he wanted to make sure they knew that.

"It's a little weird," she admitted softly.

Nick nodded, "Yeah, it could be. Why do you think it'd be weird?"

She thought for a moment, forming her thoughts. "Well, what if you guys actually start to date? I get straight A's in her class anyway, but what if everyone thinks it's because she's your girlfriend? I'd be like the ultimate teacher's pet."

It was amazing how the girls' worries were completely different. While Alexis was worried about how uncool it would be for him to date her teacher, Gracie was worried about being called the teacher's pet. "Honey, you know she'd grade you the exact same. That won't change."

"Won't change?" She asked him, confused. "You mean wouldn't? You're not dating yet."

"Grammar Nazi," he accused her lightheartedly. "Alright. It wouldn't change IF we start dating. You both seem to be worried about what other people will think. But you do like her right? That's not an issue?"

Gracie sat up a little straighter. Her dad was asking her opinion about a woman? "Miss Coleman? Yeah she's really great, Dad. But…isn't it weird to want to date a teacher?"

Nick couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud. It was a little weird to want to date a teacher….there was a certain sort of mystique to it. Of course he knew better now, but as a child he wondered, like many kids, if teachers lived at school. Did they really go grocery shopping, and have houses, and go out like normal people? Of course they did, but there was always a bit of suspicion in the back of his mind. Some teachers were strange creatures.

"Maybe a little, but I think it'll be safe," he assured her. "You and Lex have talked so highly of her, and she just seems really cool."

Gracie nodded and rubbed her upper arm a little uncomfortably. "Uh…Dad?" She started. "Do you think about Mom a lot?"

Her question seemed to have come out of the blue, but in a way it was related. He loved their mother with all his heart, and this was the first time since the girls had been born that he'd even considered dating someone. It was a big step for them all. He stood up from the desk chair and took a seat next to Gracie on the bed.

"All the time," he admitted, reaching out to stroke her hair gently. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about her."

"I was wondering…do you think there's only one person for everyone? Like you and Mom? Or do you think there can be someone else?" She asked, not exactly sure how to express what she felt. Gracie didn't exactly want to know about her father's love life, but it affected her. She knew he absolutely adored her mother. Was it possible for him to feel that way about someone else?

Nick could always count on Gracie to ask the tough questions. It seemed as though people fell in and out of love all the time, but he truly felt that would never happen with his wife. Every day with her, he seemed to find something new to love about her. And the fact she was carrying his children just seemed to make his love for her grow exponentially. He'd wondered many times after her death if he'd ever be capable of loving another woman. For a long time, it was a certain no. But like with many things, times changed his perspective. He missed his wife. He'd always miss her. But now he was open to the possibility there might be someone else he could love.

"Honey, I'll always love your mom. She'll always have a special place in my heart," he tried to explain softly and gently. "But yes, I think it's possible I could love someone else."

Gracie nodded, having suspected that answer. Something in her father had changed lately. Her memories of early childhood were happy, but she recalled sensing he was sad. She always thought that was just the way it was. As she and her sister got older, and her father healed over time though never fully, their lives became happier because he was happier. They'd never known what having a mother was like, so Gracie didn't exactly miss her like someone would miss a dead relative. She saw other girls with their mothers, and felt jealous at times, but she was happy with her sister and her dad. Gracie always felt loved and taken care of. Even the other kids at school with two parents didn't feel that way. She knew she was lucky, but at the same time very unlucky.

"I thought so," she said. "But I just wanted to check."

Nick nodded and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Don't ever be afraid to ask," he reminded her.

But sometimes Gracie _was_ afraid to ask. She knew it hurt him to talk about her mother. It reminded him of all the pain, and he didn't need that. Gracie didn't want to be responsible for making him grieve or making him sad in any way. He worked so hard to keep them same and happy and feeling loved. The least she could do was keep her mouth shut about her mom. Besides, she'd never know her mother anyway, so why ask all the questions?

Because even though she'd never met her mother, Gracie still missed her.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you about the health video," she began softly. "I didn't want to upset you."

Nick had been hoping she'd bring that up, because he was afraid she was too uncomfortable to talk about it. Not that he particularly _wanted _to talk about childbirth. "Did you think it would remind me of what happened to your mom?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Gracie nodded and leaned into him.

"Well you don't have to worry about upsetting me," he told her. Truthfully, if she had brought it up to him, it would've brought him back to that time and place, and it would've hurt. But that wasn't something she needed to be concerned with. As the parent, he had to be equipped to handle everything and anything. However, Gracie in particular was very perceptive of his feelings and moods; something she got from her mother. "If you have a question about something, especially if it's for school, you can come to me. Alright?"

Gracie nodded, though she still knew deep down some things would upset him, and she didn't want to be responsible for that. "Okay."

Nick pulled her into a warm hug, feeling much better about everything. "But no more forging my signature. You got it?"

Gracie laughed a little. "I know. I won't do it again."

"Alright," he gave her one last kiss on the temple. "Now it _is _time for you to go to bed."

"But Dad if I don't get an A on my pop quiz, my grade might go down to an A minus, and I might not get straight A's," she pleaded with him. The last time he'd told his mother about how he had to argue with Gracie about _not_ studying, she thought it was a riot. If only he'd been half as studious as Gracie, he probably would've been Ivy league-bound.

"Might, might, might," he said in a slightly high-pitched teasing tone. "You worry about the mights too much, miss Gracie. Time for bed. If you want, I'll quiz you at breakfast tomorrow."

"Okayyy," she agreed reluctantly as they both stood up. Gracie took her stack of books and notebooks to her backpack and loaded them inside. After a final hug, Nick left the room and checked on Alexis to make sure she was getting into bed. About an hour later, Nick crawled into bed himself – his large, queen-sized bed, which had been half empty for almost thirteen years now. As he turned the light off and settled in, he felt a wave of excitement in his stomach about the next day, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

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After school the next day, Nick gave his kids forty bucks each and dropped them off at the mall, where he knew they could easily spend several hours gallivanting around, trying on clothes and looking around girly stores. That would save him from having to follow them around inside Claire's and Hollister. They were told to save their receipts, however, in case they bought anything he didn't approve of. He didn't suspect Gracie would even possess the desire to buy anything he wouldn't like, but he was keeping a close eye on that other daughter of his.

"Do you think you put on enough aftershave, dad?" Alexis asked him as he pulled up to the front entrance of the mall. Nick may have put on a little more than usual, just to make sure he was cleanly and smelled as good as he felt.

"That comment will cost you twenty bucks," Nick teased her. "Hand it back over."

Alexis pushed his shoulder and shook her head. "No way. Don't say I didn't warn you though. If Miss Coleman has to call off the date cause she can't breathe, you'll know why."

"Goodbye, Alexis. Spend wisely."

Gracie kissed her father's cheek before she followed her sister out of the SUV. "Bye, daddy. Have fun."

"Thanks, baby. I will," he said before they shut the door. Nick watched to make sure they got in the entrance safely and they pulled away. That mall was crawling with security guards. As Nick drove down the street towards the Starbucks they'd agreed to meet at, he felt his hands getting a bit clammy, and his heart was racing. He hadn't dated for about fifteen years now, and was afraid he'd lost his touch. Did women still let the man pay for the date? Did she expect him to pull out chairs for her? What kind of conversation should he make? She was his kids' teacher after all. He decided to try not to overthink things, and just be himself. That was easier said than done, but he'd sure try.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of Starbucks, took a deep breath and stepped out. He wore a pair of faded jeans and a black button-down dress shirt. Nick left a couple of the top buttons undone, revealing part of his tanned chest. Despite single fatherhood, he still found time to work out, and took pride in it. He walked inside and didn't find Stacy around yet, so stood back and examined the menu. After just a minute or so, the door opened again and he did his very best not to stare. Up until now, he'd only seen Stacy in her teaching clothes – which she looked damn sexy in anyway – but this blew him out of the water. She wore a simple pair of low-rise jeans, paired with a white, short-sleeved low cut top. Her light tan, not overdone like you see on many girls these days, made her skin glow. Her hair was down, and while she wore a bit of make up, it too was not overdone. Simply put, she looked amazing.

Stacy smiled when she saw Nick. She could tell he was checking her out, and based on his expression, he liked what he saw. That made her feel good, as she had spent almost half an hour deciding on what to wear. He looked damn good himself. His shirt was open in such a way that she could see an enticing amount of his chest. And that smile of his was just to die for.

"I'm glad I found the right Starbucks," she commented as she joined him in line. He smiled widely, his nervousness magically being blown away. She had such a way about her, that as soon as he started talking to her, he felt at ease. Nick realized she reminded him a lot of the girls back home he grew up with. Sweet and southern and adorably feminine.

"Tell me about it," he chuckled. "I swear, there's two more on this street."

"You gave good directions," she told him, and they both turned their attention to the menu. Stacy couldn't stand it any more. She pretended to cough a little and turned her head to the left to check out his butt. Damn, it looked good.

"You alright?" He asked her when he heard her cough. Stacy looked back up at him and smiled.

"Perfect," she told him.

A few minutes later, they were sitting in a couple of cozy chairs next to a window, blowing on their lattes. Already, they were having a great time, laughing and joking around.

"So where in the south are you from exactly?" Nick asked, curious to know.

Stacy grinned a little and set her latte on the table. "Still can't hide that accent," she smiled. "Louisiana. You're from Texas?"

"Yes, ma'am," he told her. "Texan accents are sure hard to hide."

"It should never be hidden," she told him seriously. "I absolutely love a Texan accent on a guy."

"My mom tells me I've lost some of my twang since I moved here."

"I'm sure. Your mom still lives there?" She asked, curious about the rest of his family.

Nick nodded as he took a sip of his drink. "Yep. Her and the rest of the family. All my brothers and sisters never left Texas. I'm the only one."

"It's a big state. Do they all live close by?"

"Nah, they're all over. Two of my sisters still live close to my parents, but the others are spread around a lot."

"The others? How many siblings do you have?"

"Five sisters and a brother," he told her. "And I'm the baby."

"I know how that is," she said, pushing some of her hair away from her face. "I'm the youngest of four. Not quite as many as you, but still a big family."

"Not a lot of people have more than two or three kids nowadays, so four is still big," he told her, then sipped his drink. "So tell me some more about your family."

Stacy leaned back in her chair, wondering where to start. "Well, we're a family of teachers. Everyone's in education. My mom's a superintendent, Dad's a principal, and my three sisters teach also. Not all in the same district. That would be overkill."

"Four girls," he whistled and shook his head. "Bet your parents had their hands full."

Stacy nodded. "Well, my parents are divorced actually, and both remarried. But even between four parents, we were a bit of a handful."

Nick chuckled. "I can't imagine you being a handful. You seem so sweet and nice."

"Sisters can bring out certain things," Stacy pointed out.

"Don't I know it," Nick reminisced, thinking of all his sisters, and the twins. Boys were so much easier to bring up, he was sure. If they had an argument, boom bam, they may share a few words or smack each other once and it was over. Girls were conniving, catty little things, but they were also wonderful. He wouldn't change anything about his daughters. Well, except making Lexi a little more studious and obedient, and Gracie a little less high-strung.

"What was growing up with five sisters like?" Stacy asked him.

"When someone wasn't arguing with each other, or fighting over whose clothes were whose, and who got the bathroom next? It was great," he grinned at the memories. Being the youngest, he was well in touch with the female mentality by the time he hit high school. Maybe that's why he was known to have a way with the ladies. He knew every trick in the book by the time he was twelve. "Nah, I had a great time growing up. I had a great family."

Stacy nodded in agreement. "I worry though," he went on, "about the girls growing up without a mother, you know? I worry they're missing out on certain things."

Stacy was a very empathetic person and couldn't stop herself from putting her hand on his arm. Nick looked down at her hand and then up at her eyes. "They're doing just fine," she told him, meaning it. She came across so many lost, screwed up kids every day at her job, and Alexis and Gracie were certainly not one of them. "Believe me. You're doing a great job."

Nick studied her eyes, finding it hard to look away. It wasn't often anyone praised him on his parenting skills. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Sure," she told him, her voice light. "So, if you don't mind me asking…have you dated since your wife ummm…passed away?"

"No," Nick told her. "Not even once. For long time I just wasn't ready, and now the girls are getting older, I'm worried they won't handle it well."

"What makes you say that?" She asked curiously.

"Well, we're very close, the three of us," he explained. "I don't think they want anyone else in the picture. They're possessive, I guess."

Stacy smirked and nodded. "I can tell they both love you very much. That's great that you're all so close. But how do you know how they'll feel unless you take that chance and try it?"

Nick looked at Stacy, wondering if she was just speaking generally, or just of her exclusively. Over the years, he had been afraid to try dating, worried of the effect on the girls. He didn't want them to feel like he was replacing their mother. She could never be replaced. But he also needed to move on with his life. Him dating or remarrying wouldn't be the end of the world. It may be hard for them at first, but he was starting to consider trying it. After his conversations with them the night before, they seemed to at least be slightly open to the idea.

"That's true," he admitted, nodding. "I guess I've been too afraid to try."

"So…are you saying you'd be willing to give dating a try?"

Nick furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you talking about anyone, or just you?"

It was silent for a few moments until they both burst out laughing. The tension was getting too high. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Nick," she began, turning towards him a little more. "I'd really like to get to know you more. I think you're great. You're caring, and funny, and…" she cleared her throat. "Good looking. If you're willing, I'd really like to give dating a try."

Nick wasn't exactly sure what to say. He was incredibly attracted to Stacy, in a way he hadn't felt since being with his wife. She was amazing, alright, but what if it didn't work out? He was almost forty now with two kids, not a young guy who could just date around. His family couldn't afford for him to be reckless about dating, especially since she was also the twins' teacher. But she was right – how would he know if he never tried? He couldn't just let the rest of his life pass him by just because he was afraid of how things might turn out.

"Okay," he said softly. "I wanna try."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Well hey! I updated a little faster this time! Woooot. It would've been up even faster if my darn Internet would work properly.  Anywayyyyz…enjoy (and review!).

_In the dark of the night, Nick awoke to the somewhat unfamiliar sound of a baby crying. His eyes slowly opened as it registered in his mind it was his baby. The twins were finally here. This is what he and his wife had been dreaming about for years – having their own children. But instead of the elation inside he expected to experience, his heart immediately dropped and he felt that familiar kick in his gut. While his babies were here, his wife was not. It had been two weeks since his daughters' birth and his wife's death, and he was still locked into a surreal, horrifying trance._

_He'd imagined, before the girls were born, they'd wake up in the night to one of the girls crying. He'd lean over in the bed and kiss his wife's temple, and tell her he'd go this time. He wanted to let her sleep; wanted to take care of her and let her rest. Then she would smile appreciatively and turn onto her side to slip back into sleep._

_Nick turned over and took in the heart wrenching sight of the empty half of the bed next to him. He thought if he stared at the void for long enough, it would finally hit him. Maybe he would finally understand his wife wasn't coming back. His life would never be perfect again because she wasn't with him anymore._

_Was it horrible that he seemed to possess almost no desire to care for his new daughters? Somehow, it was overwhelmingly daunting to try to look after two screaming babies, and without his wife by his side, Nick felt he couldn't do it. What did he know about taking care of two little girls? Everyone knew babies need their mothers. Nothing he could do would bring her back, so these two precious babies would have to grow up without her. What could he possibly do to substitute their mother? Sure, he was patient and caring, and he could probably be nurturing if he tried, but Nick didn't consider himself motherly._

_Plenty of family members, coworkers, and neighbors offered their help, and he immediately accepted. Nick knew he needed all the help he could get, and he was so caught up in his own sorrow, he felt he was neglecting the girls. During the day, at least two people were always in his house, responding to the girls' every need. They fed them, changed them, bathed them, and did everything he couldn't, or wouldn't do himself. Though he fought the feeling, he couldn't help but being a little angry with his daughters. He loved them dearly, but it was simply a fact that if they hadn't been born, his wife would still be here. His scientific mind knew things like this just happened, and there was no way to control that, but he still held a bit of a grudge. Nick had three loves of his life, and they couldn't exist simultaneously? He couldn't have all three? His sorrow was so great he felt it brooding into anger, and that disgusted him. How could he be angry at the two beautiful, helpless little girls down the hall?_

_Almost every day, he considered giving the girls up. How in the world could he raise them by himself? Sure, people were willing to lend their time now, in the wake of his sorrow. But what would happen six months from now? Five years from now? He'd be alone with the children and would be at a loss for what to do. He'd watched his brother and brother in laws with their kids. When they came up crying, or had a tantrum, or asked tough questions, they seemed to know exactly what to do. How did they know? He didn't know how to do any of that. Before he even tried, Nick knew he would be a failure as a father. He could solve crimes, but calm a screaming child? Nick wasn't sure he'd ever know what to do._

_After laying in bed for a good ten minutes listening to one of his daughters cry, Nick finally found the strength to pull himself out of bed. It was the nights, when everyone had gone home and he was left by himself, that his sorrow was the most intense. It was literally paralyzing, and his daughters deserved better than that. What parent would let his kid cry for ten minutes before getting his ass out of bed to go comfort her? Nick just kept adding to the list of how he'd make a crappy parent. It was funny, how during the pregnancy, his wife went on and on about what a great dad he'd be. She was so sure about that, but look at him now. He could only be a good father if she was here with him._

_Nick wandered down the hallway, to the nursery he and his wife had furnished together. Memories of painting the walls pale yellow together, jokingly painting stripes on each other's faces, and her giggles, filled his mind. Shopping together at Target for the perfect furniture, and hearing her gasp at the near perfection of the set they'd selected (even though it went over budget). It churned up that awful feeling of regret and loss he just couldn't shake. He finally pushed the door open and determined the baby on the left was the one crying. Alexis. She so wanted to name one of the girls Alexis so they could call her Lexi for short. She'd thought that was the most adorable name for a little girl._

_Nick walked over to the bassinet and looked down at the screaming girl. On the adjacent wall, her sister was still fast asleep, undisturbed by her sister's wailing. For several long moments, he just looked down at Alexis, who was so caught up in her own problems to even notice him. She was still so tiny and vulnerable. She couldn't survive without the help of adults; totally dependent on them. Instinctively, she probably expected to be taken care of, to be comforted. Too bad she didn't know her own father was a failure at this sort of thing. Though they'd been around for two weeks, he still hadn't really mastered diaper changing. During the day, someone else always did it, so the only time he had to was at night. He was happy to let other people do all that so he could just wallow in his own pity._

_Finally, he reached down and picked the crying child up. He just held her up for a few moments, examining her, though he made sure to support her little head. He did a little sniff, and didn't smell anything foul, and determined she didn't need changing. She just needed her mother. So did he. Join the club, he thought._

_Nick sighed as he brought his child to his chest. His arm rested against her bottom, the other hand cradling her head. He walked over to the rocking chair on the opposite side of the room and sat down. "Sssshhh, Lexi. It's alright," he said, slightly robotically. Immediately, she let out a tiny sob as one of her little arms reached out and rested on his chest. Her crying died down almost instantly as he leaned back and rocked her gently. She let out a little coo as his large hand stroked her tiny back. Her eyes were open, staring off at nothing really, just open. Nick looked down at her little hand, still resting on his chest. Her tiny fingers – the nails barely noticeable. Her hand made its way back to her mouth. She wasn't crying at all now as they just sat there together. Did he do that? She calmed down just because he was holding her? Nick wondered if she knew he was her daddy. He wondered if she knew her mother was gone, and wondered where she was. But she just seemed to lay there, totally in the moment. All she was aware of, he inferred, was the feeling of being cradled against him, the sound of his heart beating. How wonderful, he thought, that even though her mother was dead she wasn't really aware of her loss. She didn't know what she was living wasn't normal. All she knew was her caretakers…and him._

_Really, that was all she had. Him. He didn't know if that would ever be enough, but that's the way it was._

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_One year after Chapter Six_

Gracie Stokes walked down the hallway of her middle school with a stack of fliers in one hand, and a roll of tape in the other. Every few feet, she stopped and taped one of her fliers to the wall, as other students streamed around her, trying to get to their next class. She stopped in front of her Spanish room and stuck a flier to the door. After taping it, she stepped back to make sure it was straight. Gracie was very proud of the fliers she had made. She'd used PhotoShop to help create them on the computer at home, and it was eye-catching and very excellent.

_Gracie Stokes for Student Body President_ it read. She let out a satisfied sigh as she admired her work. Already, she'd put forth so much effort into her campaign, and she could practically taste victory. She had so many good ideas that she couldn't wait to share, and she just knew everyone would agree. Gracie planned to campaign to plant new flowers outside the main entrance, improve the selection of the cafeteria food, and best of all, a plan to get out early for Fall Break by collecting donations for United Way. It was a foolproof plan. And she'd come up with it all by herself.

Just as she was admiring her handiwork, a hand reached out and ripped her flier off the door. Appalled, Gracie turned her head to come face to face with none other than her sister, Alexis.

"You're not allowed to put fliers on classroom doors, dimwit," Alexis told her twin, her arms also full of fliers of her own. They weren't fliers for Gracie. Last night, Alexis had spontaneously decided she was going to run for class president also. Not just so she could prove she was more popular than Gracie, but to show everyone just how easily she could win the election without even trying. And that would really tick Gracie off.

"Since when?" Gracie challenged her. It really boiled her blood that Alexis had entered the competition. Today was the registration for candidates, and while she had planned for weeks how to go about this election, with meticulous detail, her sister had thrown together her campaign and election fliers the night before. An hour before bedtime. Typical Alexis – she put forth the least amount of effort possible, and still managed to pull straight A's and succeed at virtually everything. And it really ticked her off that basically the only reason Alexis had entered was because she knew how much the election meant to her.

"Since forever," Alexis replied, flipping her perfectly groomed brown hair behind her shoulder. "Didn't you read the election rules, since you're so obsessed?" Gracie just stared at her with a look of hate. Why did that damn egg have to split and make two people instead of one? Her life would be so much easier without a twin sister. "It's in there. I'm just trying to save you some trouble."

"That's complete bologna," Gracie replied as the bell rang for class to begin.

"Good one," Alexis told her as she flipped her hair around once again as she entered the classroom. There was only one beginning Spanish class this year at their school, and both of them wanted to take it, so they'd ended up in the same room. They hadn't been in the same classroom since kindergarten, and Gracie hated it.

"Gracie, Alexis, that's a tardy," Mrs. Mead told the twins as they walked in. The entire rest of the class was already seated without their homework out, pencils ready to go. Mrs. Mead was known to be particularly strict, and expected her students to be in their seats, ready to go when the tardy bell rang. Gracie sighed as she took her seat and found her Spanish folder. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, feeling like she was one of the bad kids. She'd never gotten a tardy before, and while she knew the first was just a verbal warning, it still crushed her. Alexis, on the other hand, was used to it. She'd rather socialize with her friends than get to class on time.

"Gracie, it's your first so this is just a warning," Mrs. Mead told her, looking at her attendance book. "Alexis, this is your fourth. See me after class."

In any other class, the students would probably let out an "oooooooh!", but not in Mrs. Mead's room. She was a hard-ass, and no one wanted to get on her bad side. Pop quizzes were frequent deterrents for that sort of behavior.

After class, Gracie packed up her things slowly so she could possibly eavesdrop on Alexis's conversation with Mrs. Mead. If she was going to ruin her election, Gracie was going to take every chance to make her life harder. She knew four tardies meant another detention, and that would not make their dad happy. Alexis had a detention last week, and their dad was not pleased with her at all. Not that it fazed Alexis. She had a way of doing what she wanted.

"Alexis, this is the second detention I've given you in two weeks," Mrs. Mead reminded her as she filled out a detention slip. "Is there a reason you can't get to class on time?"

Alexis just shrugged, not really bothered with trying to kiss ass. Despite her best efforts, Gracie could not understand how her sister could be so laissez-faire with pretty much everything in her life. She didn't get nervous about tests and speeches, she put off her homework and chores until the last minute, and didn't seem to care when she got in trouble with teachers. How could she stand to have someone disappointed in her?

"Well, it needs to stop, or I'll be contacting your dad again," Mrs. Mead threatened. As with all the girls' teachers, they were aware that Nick always supported them 100%, especially when it involved Alexis. He knew her ways, and definitely didn't take trouble at school lightly. Mrs. Mead tore off the slip and handed it to Alexis. "After school today. Don't be late."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mead," Alexis told her, slightly sarcastically. She turned and slung her backpack over her shoulder and saw her twin sister watching her. The little brat was such a goody two shoes. As she passed her sister, she gave her a glare. "You tell Dad, you're dead."

Gracie followed after her, rolling her eyes. "How do you expect him not to find out? He knows everything, not to mention Miss Coleman _works _here."

Miss Coleman working at their school was definitely a complication in several aspects of the girls' lives. Almost a year ago, their father and Miss Coleman had officially begun dating. They both liked Miss Coleman as a teacher, and they enjoyed getting to know her more as she dated their dad. But, as to almost any middle schooler, it was weird.

For one, pretty much everyone - the students and the teachers – knew Miss Coleman was dating their dad. It wasn't exactly a big deal, but obviously it wasn't really happening to anyone else's family. The students all just thought it was a little odd. Teachers weren't supposed to have lives outside of school, and certainly not with their students' families. At least now, Miss Coleman wasn't their teacher anymore. They were eighth graders now, so they didn't have to worry about that unease. Neither girl was totally happy with their former teacher dating their dad, but they knew she made him happy. They hadn't seen him this happy, ever.

"Just keep your mouth shut," Alexis told her as they made their way down the hall towards their next classes. "If he finds out, he finds out, but I don't need you advertising it."

Alexis hurried off towards her locker just down the hall, leaving Gracie behind her. Gracie watched as she stuck up a few more fliers for her candidacy. She really wasn't in the mood to do her sister any favors.

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At the end of the school day, Gracie was definitely ready for a break. She'd spent every free moment she could find putting up fliers for her candidacy. It felt like she hadn't stopped going all day. For most of the school year, the after school routine was to go to Miss Coleman's room and get a ride home from her. They usually had about an hour to kill while she finished up making copies and making sure her lessons were set for the next day, so Gracie usually got a snack and then started on her homework. Usually, Alexis disappeared to go spy on whatever boys' sports team was in season while they practiced. This month, it was football.

Gracie walked into Miss Coleman's room to find her sorting some papers at her desk. She looked up and smiled at Gracie when she came in. Miss Coleman was so pretty. She had the most perfect hair, and the coolest clothes (for a teacher). When she came over to their house to hang out or go on a date, she wore really nice jeans and had some cool tops. Alexis always oogled over her shoes and purses. Miss Coleman, whom she was trying to get better at calling Stacey, didn't live with them. Gracie wasn't sure if they'd even talked about it, but she knew her father would think it was too much. She'd only move in if they got married, and with the way things were heading, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Gracie suspected Miss Coleman had stayed over a few times, though they tried to be very careful about it. She would come over after she and her sister had gone to bed. But that didn't mean they were asleep. Having been taught by Miss Coleman herself about human growth and development, and receiving a highly abridged version of "the talk" from her father, Gracie could suspect what they were doing. And that was just nasty. It made her paranoid, thinking everyone knew her dad and Miss Coleman were doing it, and how disgusting that sounded.

"Hi, Gracie," she greeted her warmly, setting aside some papers. "How was your day?"

Gracie plopped down in one of the desks in the front row and let her backpack fall to the floor. "Okay," she said. "I was putting up fliers all day."

"Yeah?" she opened a drawer and pulled out a bag of pretzels. "I've been seeing quite a few around school. And for Lexi too. I didn't know she was running."

Gracie sighed at the reminder of her twin trying to show her up. "She decided last night. She's just doing it to upset me."

Stacey threw the bag of pretzels towards Gracie for a snack. She was getting more and more concerned about Alexis's effect on Gracie. As a teacher, she knew how cold and mean middle school girls could be, and felt badly for Gracie. Even at home, she couldn't escape the catty girl issue. She discussed it with Nick frequently, and both tried to keep Alexis in check, but it wasn't always easy.

"Is it?" She asked Gracie as she opened up the bag of pretzels.

"Bothering me?" She shrugged and popped a pretzel in her mouth. "I don't know. I'm used to her trying to annoy me. But it bothers me she's doing this just because she knows how much I want it."

Stacey nodded in agreement, concern all over her face. "And where is that sister of yours?"

Gracie had considered covering for her sister, but her conversation with Miss Coleman reminded her of how Alexis was wronging her. Why should she do her any favors when she seemed to enjoy making her life hell?

"She's in detention," she told Miss Coleman. "She was tardy to Spanish again. She made me tardy, too, but it was my first one so I just got a warning."

"That little punk," Stacey commented, shaking her head. She'd really enjoyed having Alexis in class, and still thought she was wonderful. But being part of her life outside of school gave her a glimpse into what a little heathen Alexis really could be. Even Nick had a hard time controlling her, and she hadn't even reached high school yet. She was a real challenge, and unfortunately Gracie was somewhat caught in the middle. It was all making Stacey rather uncomfortable, not knowing her place. She was no longer her teacher. She was their father's girlfriend, but not an authority role. It was hard to just sit back and not say anything when there were problems with the girls, which was what she tried to do. Stacey was afraid the girls would start to resent her if she inserted herself in their lives too deeply. If she and Nick eventually got married, that might change, but they'd only been dating for a year.

"She's gonna try to hide it from our dad," Gracie reported, trying to feel out how Miss Coleman would feel about that. She was a teacher, after all, and therefore highly concerned with kids behaving well. She wouldn't help Alexis keep her detention from their dad, would she?

"Oh," Stacey said, feeling uncomfortable. She sometimes felt like all members of the family were feeling her out to see how she reacted to certain things and what stance she'd take. They were testing her to see where she stood, and on whose side she was on. She didn't like interfering with family problems, but more and more, she felt herself getting reeled in.

"Are you gonna tell him?" Gracie asked curiously.

Stacey sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Well, I hope not. I'd hope Alexis can be honest with him."

Gracie snorted a little bit in laughter. "She's a lying sack," she told her former teacher.

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A little later, Stacey pulled into the Stokes' driveway with the two girls in tow. She liked being able to take the kids home after school, allowing for Nick to catch up on some much-needed sleep. He worked hard, and deserved a little peace during the day. Stacey parked the car in the driveway and turned off the ignition.

"I think your dad's still sleeping. He had a late morning, so try to keep it down," she reminded them. The girls picked up their backpacks and they all headed inside to do some relaxing. Gracie was first through the door, and surprisingly found her dad on the living room couch, laying down watching a movie. He sat up when he saw everyone coming in, and turned the TV off.

"Hey, guys," he greeted them scrubbing his hands over his face.

"Hey," Stacey told him, shutting the door behind her. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," he said as he stood up. The girls set their bags down by the kitchen table as Stacey walked over to give him a hug. They exchanged a brief kiss as Nick linked his hands with hers. "You look nice."

She smiled and touched foreheads with him. "Thanks. So do you," she said of his athletic pants and old t-shirt. Though it sounded like she was joking, she really wasn't. After dating him for a year, she'd come to the conclusion he looked good in anything. And he looked even better in absolutely nothing. They shared another brief kiss before they pulled away from each other. Alexis was starving, having not being able to get a snack right after school. She made her way into the kitchen to grab something out of the cupboard.

"Lex, don't eat too much," Nick told her. "We're having an early dinner in about an hour."

"Fine," she told him as she grabbed a granola bar. "Nice to see you too."

He smirked and put her in a headlock as she tried to walk past him. "Daaaaad!" She protested as he messed up her hair and tickled her sides.

"Daaaaad" He mocked her as he released her. "How was your day?"

"It was school," she told him. "No offense, Miss Coleman."

"None taken," she said as both girls took a seat in the living room.

"Gracie?" Nick asked his other daughter. "How was campaigning?"

"Good," she replied, taking off her shoes. "I got a lot of fliers up. I think I have a lot better plan than most people." Gracie looked at her twin sister. She knew that Alexis didn't have a plan at all. Like a lot of kids at school, they just thought of it as a popularity contest. Which, it kind of was, and that's what ticked Gracie off the most. So she wasn't the coolest girl in school, and didn't dress like she was ready to go star in a movie. But she had really good ideas, and she cared about her school. And there was her sister, fresh out of detention, threatening to take away something important from her.

"Nobody cares about your ideas," Alexis countered rather cruelly. "No one knows who you are. You'll just end up getting embarrassed."

Nick and Stacey both shot her a look as Gracie looked away, hurt. She'd suspected all along that her sister was against her, but she hadn't said anything up until that point. Weren't twins supposed to be, like, best friends? Well, two could play at that game.

"Yeah, I bet you had lots of time to think about your campaign in detention today," Gracie quipped, ratting her sister out. Alexis turned to glare at Gracie.

"I hate you," she whispered. "Shut up."

"Detention?" Nick questioned. He hated to give in the middle of the twins' quarrels, but when it involved detention, he couldn't stay out. Nick had warned Alexis so many times about not getting any more detentions. "What's going on Alexis?"

After glaring at her sister one more time, Alexis looked up to face her father, his hands on his hips. "Nothing, Dad. It was stupid. I was in my _classroom_ when the bell rang, and Mrs. Mead counted me as tardy just because I wasn't sitting in my seat. Now, come on. That's not fair. That's ridiculous."

"You know Mrs. Mead's rules about tardies," Nick reminded her. "Everyone else manages to get to class on time. Why are you having such a hard time?"

"Idk. Unlike _some_ people, I like to have a social life and talk to my friends during passing period. So sorry if I was a little late. Gracie was late too. She got a tardy," she said, trying to steer the conversation away from herself.

"My first tardy ever, because _she_ was talking to me," Gracie pointed out. Inside, she was still disappointed in herself for getting a tardy, but she knew her dad wouldn't care. One tardy wasn't the end of the world. Four, however, was.

"We're not talking about Gracie. We're talking about you," Nick reminded her. "I warned you when you got your third tardy what would happen if you got a fourth."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Dad, grounding me is a little extreme, don't you think?" She asked, trying to reason with him. "Miss Coleman? Don't you think that's crazy? I served my detention."

"Lex, I warned you," Nick pointed out before his daughter could drag Stacey into the argument. That wasn't fair, and she'd tried it several times in the last few months. "It's not that hard to get to class on time. And if you get one more tardy, they'll put you in In-School Suspension for a day."

"But Dad, you're just gonna make the problem worse if you ground me," she argued, standing up. "Cause I won't get to talk to my friends, so then at school I'll have to squeeze all my socializing into the school day and I might get even more tardies. You don't want that, do you?"

Nick was amused by her argument, but he didn't dare show it. "Enough," he told her. "Get up to your room, and I'll be up in a while to talk to you."

Alexis could see her argument wasn't working, and to push it any further would be unwise. She sighed and picked up her backpack and headed towards the stairs. She shouted, "Tattletale!" over her shoulder at her sister before disappearing.

Nick shook his head and headed back over to the couch, where Gracie was still sitting. "Sorry I got a tardy," Gracie told him. "It won't happen again."

Nick smiled and patted her shoulder warmly. "Oh, I know. I'm sure you've been beating yourself up about it, which is why I don't worry."

Gracie smiled at his comment. He knew her very well, and was aware she was her own worst critic. Nick rarely had to lecture her or reason with her why something was wrong because she usually already felt awful. He thought this was one of the reasons Alexis resented her sister sometimes. While Alexis often required some sort of lecture or consequence when she made a mistake, Gracie was really the opposite. He didn't think it was fair to treat them the same when their personalities were so different. Nick could see why Alexis didn't think it was fair, but he was the parent so he got to make the call. Gracie kept herself in check far better than he ever could, and he liked that. Nick figured she was well on her way to being a good adult.

"So, why are we having dinner so early?" Gracie asked him, glad to change the subject.

"I got called into work early," he said, leaning forward on his elbows. "All the days people are stuck in court, so they need some of us in early. You have much to do tonight?"

"Yeah," she reported sadly. "I have a test in Social Studies tomorrow."

Nick knew how worried and uptight she got about tests. He usually helped her study after dinner for any tests, after she looked over the material after school. "Well, I bet if you ask nicely Stacey will quiz you. Unless she has to get home."

Stacey cleared her throat and sat on the recliner. "No, I don't have to be anywhere. I can quiz you, Gracie."

Nick looked at her appreciatively. She was a real catch, he knew. He didn't think it was possible after losing his wife, but he'd found it in his heart to care deeply about someone again and it felt good. For the first time in years, he felt alive and thriving. Not that the twins didn't make him happy, but this was a new level of happiness. Nick was completely head over heels in love with Stacey Coleman.

"Great," he said. "Thanks baby."

Stacey smiled back at him and Gracie suppressed her desire to gag. She still wasn't sure about all this. Gracie wondered what her mother would think.

"I'm gonna go finish my homework upstairs," Gracie decided, standing up. She could kind of sense they wanted to be alone, and didn't want to be witness to any more kissing. "Tell me when dinner's ready."

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A while later after dinner, Stacey sat on the couch next to Nick, her legs sprawled out over his as they exchanged a series of slow, sweet kisses. He was such a great kisser, and it made her feel like a teenager again, sitting here making out with him. His hand slowly inched up underneath her shirt as their lips meshed and their tongues mingled. Nick had just taken a shower, making him smell of soap, aftershave, and just pure Nick. Easily, it was pure heaven. It was a scent she couldn't get enough of. As things were getting hot and heavy, they heard a door open upstairs and heard someone enter the bathroom. It felt like they were rarely alone.

They broke the kiss, and Stacey rested her head against his shoulder. "I've missed you," she whispered to him.

Nick gently kissed her forehead, just enjoying the feeling of being near her. "I've missed you too," he admitted. "I've been working a lot lately, but I should have the whole weekend off. Maybe we could catch a show?"

"Yeah, that would be nice," Stacey agreed just as his alarm clock went off, telling him it was time to go into work. Nick kissed her softly one more time before she moved her legs off his so he could get up. She took the opportunity to admire his butt as he walked to his office to gather his things. He emerged with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder and a jacket in hand. Nick pulled his work boots out of the closet and worked them onto his feet.

"Do you wanna stay over, or are you gonna head out after the girls go to bed?" He asked. She was always welcome to stay over, though he feared it made the girls a bit uncomfortable. Truth be told, he always felt a little better about leaving the girls home alone when she was there. Up until they were in middle school, they had a babysitter who would stay with them. Once they turned twelve, they convinced him they were too old to have a babysitter. Since Nick had a security system in place, and the girls had proven themselves reasonably responsible, he allowed it. It was nice having a little extra piece of mind with Stacey around though.

"I think I'll stay," she told him, giving him a wave of relief. "Gracie needs help with her Social Studies anyway."

"You know how she gets with tests," Nick reminisced about her meticulous nature. "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem," she smiled up at him, and they began to kiss one last time. It was exhilarating to Nick to once again feel that need for someone. He hadn't felt it since his wife died, but it was amazing how the feeling just came rushing back. Nick ached for Stacey when she was away, and when she was with him, he just wanted to be closer. As his hand reached up under her shirt again, she giggled. "You better get going, Stokes, or you'll get in trouble for being late."

Nick kissed the tip of her nose and managed to pull himself away from her. He always took the time to say goodbye to his kids, so he wandered up the stairs. After reminding Gracie that Stacey was there to help with her homework, he went to check on Alexis, who was still upset with him. He told her to behave for Stacey, and he'd see her in the morning.

A few minutes later, Nick was gone.

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About an hour later, Stacey sat with Gracie on the living room couch, a Social Studies textbook open on her lap. Gracie was in the accelerated class, which meant they covered two chapters a month, and had one large test after each pair. Eighth grade focused on American history, and most of the material they were being tested on covered the American Revolution.

"Alright, tell me about taxation without representation," Stacey threw out a new question. So far, Gracie had answered every question above and beyond what Stacey would expect. And yet, the kid still worried.

Gracie took in a deep breath, peeling some of the nail polish off her nails out of nervousness. "It was when Britain was still taxing the colonists for things, but they didn't have any representatives for the colonies in the British government. And then one time, the colonists got so mad they had the Boston Tea Party, where they threw all the British tea into the ocean to protest."

Stacey nodded and smirked. "Great job," she flipped to the next page and found the end of the second chapter. "Gracie, you really know this material. Why do you think you get so nervous?"

Gracie bit a couple of her fingernails. She'd just painted them purple the night before, and now they were practically bare. She cursed herself for messing up her brand new paint job, and then cursed Mr. Matthews for planning a test. "I dunno. I guess I'm just afraid I'll forget to study something, or I won't have enough time to answer the essays."

"Well, you're doing the right thing taking studying seriously. In my class, you were always really prepared and did very well. But, once you go over it, you should just stop and take a break from it. You're beating it into your head when all the material's already there," Stacey suggested. Gracie was just a kid, and didn't need to be spending hours studying for school. At least, not yet.

Gracie shrugged. "Eh. I'd rather beat it into me some more. Just in case." Gracie reached for the textbook to look over some more of the material, but Stacey closed it on her. She looked up at her former teacher quizzically.

"You're a kid, Gracie," she pointed out. "You need to have some fun, too. Why don't we watch a movie, or I could help you repaint your fingernails since you peeled all the polish off."

Gracie laughed a little. It would be nice to watch a movie and get her nails painted by someone else. Her dad sure never helped with her nails. Gracie wondered if this was the kind of thing she'd do with her mother. Is that why Stacey was volunteering to do her nails for her? So she'd start thinking about her as her mother? "Ummm, I guess that would be nice."

"Good," Stacey was thrilled she'd accepted. More studying certainly wouldn't help her out any more. "Why don't you pick out a movie, and I'll go get the nail polish from upstairs. You want the same color?"

"Yeah," Gracie agreed, standing up to go pick a movie from the DVD collection. Stacey walked towards the stairs, up to the girls' bathroom, where they kept all their "girly crap" as Nick called it sometimes. She found the same color purple Gracie had on her nails, grabbed some nail polish remover and cotton balls, and stepped out. As she walked out into the hallway, she heard some giggling coming from Alexis's bedroom. As she inched closer, she could hear the sound of more laughter, and it didn't sound like it came from a female. Stacey's mouth dropped in shock. She wouldn't have a boy in her room without permission, would she?

Knowing Alexis was rather sneaky, Stacey decided to go with the shock and awe approach. She quietly approached the door, and in one swift movement, opened it and stepped in. To say Alexis looked shocked was an understatement. She was sitting on her bed, thankfully fully clothed, with another student Stacey recognized, Michael Rawlings. Ladies' man for sure. They had a CD player up on the bed, with many discs strewn about, having a music sharing session. That better have been all they were sharing, Stacey thought to herself.

"And just what do you think you're doing Alexis?" She asked, digging out her teacher voice, which she tried not to use outside the school's walls.

Both kids were red-faced, embarrassed. "Uhhhh…just listening to some music?" She answered as a question instead of a statement. Alexis pushed pause on her CD player and swallowed. She didn't know Stacey was staying. She thought she and Gracie were alone in the house.

"With a boy in your room with the door closed when you're supposed to be grounded?" Stacey filled in all those pesky details. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited to see if Alexis would come up with some other elaborate excuse.

"Ummm, yea," she uncrossed her legs and let them fall over the edge of the bed. "It's for a project at school. We're supposed to compare and contrast music."

"You think I was born yesterday?" Stacey asked her, noticing how Michael said nothing. She quickly crossed the room and picked up a couple of the albums they'd been 'studying'. "What teacher would assign you to compare and contrast the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift?"

Both children swallowed and looked at each other. Michael slowly stood up from the bed and looked at Stacey apologetically. "Well, I better be going. I've got other homework to finish," he told Stacey, eyeing her curiously. He'd never seen a teacher outside school, and to see one in Alexis's house? It was just weird.

"Yeah, you better be going," she reiterated. "I'll be contacting your parents, Michael. How did you get in here anyway?"

Michael scratched the back of his head nervously and wordlessly pointed to the window. "That's just great," Stacey commented. "You have five seconds to get out of this house. Go."

Michael didn't have to be told twice. He raced down the stairs, glad to be free of the situation. He passed Gracie on the way out, who was more than shocked to see a boy from school in her house. Michael waved at her, and she couldn't suppress the giggle that followed. Michael Rawlings...he was a dream boat. And he'd been in her house! Gracie was glad she hadn't already changed into her Spongebob Squarepants pajamas.

Upstairs, Alexis was quickly learning that having a teacher for a babysitter meant bad news. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Alexis shrugged as she absentmindedly cleaned up the dozen CD's sprawled out on her bed. "Sorry. But we really were just studying. It's not like we were making out."

Stacey sighed and paced the room for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say. She'd of course dealt with discipline problems at her job, but this was different. This was her boyfriend's kid, and she'd just caught her doing something she knew he wouldn't approve of. "You better not have been doing anything. And studying? Lexi, give me a break."

Alexis sighed as she put the stack of CD's back down on her bedside table. "Fine. We weren't studying. But we were just hanging out. No reason to get your panties in a bunch."

"Hey!" Stacey snapped a little, surprised at her own tone. "Watch how you talk to me. On top of everything you just did, you lied to me too. How could you do all that, Alexis? You know the rules, and you also knew you were grounded. And you do this while _I'm _here? You just think you can pull one over on me because I'm just babysitting you?"

Alexis furrowed her eyebrows. She'd been used to Stacey as 'Miss Coleman' the teacher, and behaved pretty well in her class. She didn't like to cause her any problems because she liked her and thought she was cool. But now she was trying to lecture her in her own house? In her own bedroom, which she had no right doing? Stacey was not her mother, and Lexi thought she was stepping way over her boundaries.

"Just because you're my dad's girlfriend doesn't mean you can tell me what to do!" Lexi snapped at full force, standing up from her bed.

"He left me in charge, Alexis," Stacey pointed out. "So yes, I do get to tell you what to do. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but that's the way it is."

Alexis could see that arguing with Stacey was just going to make her more defensive, and she wouldn't be on her side. She knew she had to take a different approach to avoid getting in trouble. She sighed and let tears well up in her eyes. "Miss Coleman, I'm sorry," she said, her voice full of emotion. "I won't do it again. It's just that I promised Michael he could come over and listen to music with me, and I thought my dad was gonna be home, but then he got called into work and I got in trouble, so it didn't work out exactly how I planned it. I just figured you'd understand, Miss Coleman. Don't you understand what it's like to have a crush on someone?"

Stacey didn't like to admit it, but Alexis was tugging on her heartstrings a little. But she also knew Alexis could be manipulative, and was probably just trying to get out of being in trouble with her father. And with what she'd done, it would be big trouble. Stacey couldn't just look the other way and not tell Nick about this.

"I do, but that doesn't mean you can go sneaking around behind my back, and undermine your dad," she pointed out. "What you did tonight was totally unacceptable, and you know it."

Alexis little fresh wave of tears escape, and wiped them off her face. "Miss Coleman, please," she begged her. "Don't tell my dad. He'll freak out and he'll kill me."

Stacey felt badly for her, just a little bit. Obviously she needed a little guidance, and Stacey knew Nick was fully capable of handling that. She didn't know how lucky she was to have a father who cared about her so much, and wouldn't let things like this slide.

"I'm not gonna tell your dad," Stacey said, seeing Alexis's eyes momentarily fill with hope. "You are."

Stacey pulled out her cell phone from her back pocket and flipped it open, much to Alexis's horror. "You wouldn't," Alexis dared her. Stacey scrolled through her phonebook and quickly found Nick's number and pressed dial. She heard it ring, and a few moments later, he picked up.

"Hey, babe," Nick answered, happy to receive a call from his girlfriend. "What's up?"

Stacey cleared her throat in regret. She hoped he wouldn't think she was doing a bad job sitting the girls. Deep down, she knew he'd understand. They both knew Alexis quite well. "Well, unfortunately, I caught Alexis doing something she shouldn't and she'd like to tell you about it."

Stacey held out the phone for Alexis to take it. The girl gave her a look of pure hate and malice. Stacey thought a hole might be burned through her skull. Still, she didn't waver as Alexis took the phone from her and held it to her ear. She didn't say anything for a few moments.

"Alexis? You there?" Nick asked on the other end, preparing himself for the worst.

"Yes," she grumbled reluctantly, still glaring at Stacey.

Nick sighed and touched his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," she answered, hating being treated like a child.

"Alexis," Nick said sternly.

Stacey wasn't going anywhere until she heard Alexis tell her father everything. She stood by, listening, in case she left out any detail. "I had a friend over to listen to CD's and Miss Coleman had a cow over it."

Nick knew with Alexis he needed to keep probing. That wasn't the whole story. "Which friend was this?"

After a pause she answered, "Michael."

"Michael who?"

"Michael Rawlings," Nick could tell she was pissed for getting discovered.

"Well, seeing as you're not allowed to have boys in the house without me there on top of the fact you're grounded, I can see why she had a cow. Where were you listening to music?"

"In my room," she told him reluctantly, making him pry for every detail.

Nick sighed loudly and scrubbed a hand over his face. He was so glad Stacey had actually been home. There was no telling what could've happened if the girls had been left alone all night. "Alexis Michelle, what were you thinking?" His tone low and foreboding. She didn't answer him.

"I'm really disappointed in you," he told her. "Did you do anything with him, Alexis? Tell me the truth."

"Daaad!" She complained, embarrassed.

"Answer me," he demanded.

"No!" She yelled. "We didn't! What's the big deal? We were just listening to music and nothing happened."

Nick was relieved their encounter had been purely platonic. However, that didn't make it okay. "It _is_ a big deal, Lexi. Boys are certainly not allowed in your room. You're thirteen years old. You're just a child."

"I'm not a child!" She protested, seething. "Would you stop treating me like one?"

"You are," he told her. "You broke several house rules on top of doing it while you're already grounded, and you gave Stacey problems. You were totally in the wrong, Alexis Michelle, and you're in a world of trouble. You better get to bed because when I get home in the morning, we'll be having a long conversation."

"I can't wait," Lexi told him sarcastically.

"Get your butt in bed now, and I better not hear about you causing Stacey any more problems. You understand?"

"Yes," she grumbled.

"Great. Good night."

Alexis turned off the phone and set it in Stacey's waiting hand roughly. "There, are you happy?" She asked her loudly. "You've ruined my life!"

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_Click on it, leave a nice word or two_

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_(Maybe not love; that's a strong word. I'll be fond of you)_


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